- Tuesday, Clinton County Commissioners approved changes to amendments on solar regulations.
- This changes some ways that developers for Solar Energy have to comply with in the area.
- Video shows the meeting and neighbors thoughts.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood reporter Russell Shellberg here in St. Johns at the Clinton County Courthouse where Tuesday, a meeting was held regarding changing amendments on a zoning ordinance on clean energy here in Clinton County.
Bringing solar energy into Clinton County has not been an easy task. For months, neighbors have seen the pros and cons. For Elsie resident Brenda Gordon, it's about where they end up.
"These products can go elsewhere, I'm not really saying no to them, but they can go elsewhere. And preserve the integrity of our agricultural land," said Gordon.
But Senior Director of ESA Solar Matt Drennan says it isn't that simple.
"You have to find the places where you can put the power on the grid. If you don't have that, you really don't have any ability to build a project. It's kind of like building a boat without a port," said Drennan.
Tuesday, the Board of Commissioners have approved amendment changes made by members of Clinton County such as adding more distance from property lines to install the farms. The hope is that this will bring some compromise to both parties. It's something Drennan says helps move them forward.
"We gotta go back and really focus on the project, put our attention towards that, and see what kind of timeline we have, what kind of design we can build for this project and really make sure that when we have questions on this side that we're able to answer them," said Drennan.
But that compromise has not eased all concerns for neighbors like Gordon.
"My hope is that there is going to be a moderation about this. That there is going to be some limitations, some cap on this, that it cannot just go unbounded," said Gordon.
Drennan says that ESA looks for land that is suitable for the entire community and plans to keep the community informed in their planning.
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