First Solar Farm request gets thumbs up from Logan County Board

 

[October 19, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

During the Logan County Board's Regular voting session on Thursday, the board unanimously approved a special use permit that would permit the development of the county's first solar farm The four-megawatt solar facility would be built at the northwest edge of Emden pending winning state approval and incentives granting.

Both the Logan County Regional Planning Commission and the Logan County Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously recommended approval of the solar project earlier this month.

At Thursday’s Board Workshop, Brian Schaffer of TRC Solutions told the board about plans for community solar systems and two megawatt dispersed solar arrays to be located throughout the state of Illinois. These have been incentivized through the Security Jobs Act.

Schaffer said community members can subscribe to utilities like ComEd and Ameren can subscribe to the solar facilities and get a reduced rate based on the rate structuring.

Daniel Solarzano of Forefront Power said developers partner with a property owner. Community members can be shareholders or participants.

Solarzano said the state is still deciding how they are going to award the renewable energy credits. Right now, the state is choosing projects in a lottery called the Adjustable Block Program, and there is a 10 percent chance of getting into the program.

Solarzano said they are trying to get two permits right now for a four-megawatt project. They are still working on an interconnection agreement since costs for upgrading the necessary facilities are up in the air.

Solarzano said they may buy three by six solar panels from Trista, which is on the state supplier’s list. These panels would not cause light or sound pollution. The only light would be a motion sensing light at the site entrance and the inverter for the panels would be just 60 decibels, which is no louder than a human voice.

Solarzano said all details would be hashed out during the building process.

Board member Annette Welch asked what would happen if the project is not chosen in the program. Would it not happen?

Solorzano said most likely, but there will be several blocks in the lottery, so it could be chosen later.

Board member David Hepler asked what agency would regulate it.

Solarzano said the Illinois Power Agency.

Ruben said the Illinois Power Agency spoke at the County Board Association meeting and the IPA will vetting companies to see if they are capable of doing the work, then holding the lotteries to pick which ones to do at this time. The IPA will pick more gradually until they reach a certain amount of power by 2030.

[Angela Reiners]