Poplar Grove may tweak zoning rules to allow solar farm
By Susan Vela
Staff writer
Posted Sep 11, 2018 at 3:56 PMUpdated Sep 11, 2018 at 4:11 PM
POPLAR GROVE — Trajectory Energy Partners wants to build a solar energy farm north of Illinois 173 that would be large enough to power several hundred homes.
Poplar Grove officials first must consider amending the village’s zoning ordinance to permit solar farms with mounted solar energy collectors in agricultural/rural, general business, light industrial and heavy industrial districts.
Trustees will recommend approval at a Sept. 19 board meeting. If the proposal gets the nod, Trajectory Energy and other solar companies can apply for a special-use permit to install solar panels.
“I look at it as a win-win,” Board President Owen Costanza said. “That land will no longer be sitting vacant. This is a great use of the land, and it’s a great renewable source of energy, far better than the windmills. It looks to be a no-brainer to me. It doesn’t seem to impact anybody.”
About a dozen proposals for solar energy developments have been pitched in the last year in Boone, Winnebago and Stephenson counties and a similar phenomenon is rippling throughout Illinois. The boom is driven by the Future Energy Jobs Act. The state law approved in 2016 requires Illinois utilities to get 25 percent of their retail power from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2025.
Poplar Grove’s zoning rules regulate solar energy development, but the language only accommodates the placement of solar panels on roofs and not large-scale solar power operations.
“Due to ongoing technological advances, solar has become more competitive,” according to a report from village planning staff. “What was once a way for residents to reduce energy bills by having a few panels installed has become larger operations that generate electricity that is delivered to the utility distribution network and can be utilized by multiple customers per project.”
Some trustees see no problems with changing the zoning ordinance so that Trajectory Energy Partners, based in Highland Park, can put solar panels on land that’s now zoned for light industrial and general business purposes.
Jon Carson, Trajectory Energy’s managing partner, said the company would lease the land from First Midwest Group.
Representatives from Trajectory Energy have appeared at Poplar Grove Village Hall to field questions about their proposal. Their development, they say, would deliver “community solar,” allowing local homeowners to subscribe to use the electricity generated and receive credit for their involvement.
“I think community solar is going to be a fantastic benefit,” Carson said.
Trajectory is a young company founded in 2017 and responsible for solar projects across the country.
“We’re excited about this one,” Carson said. “It’s a nice site.”
Costanza said the lease includes language that holds Trajectory responsible for decommissioning the solar energy project should the enterprise fail. Trustee Neeley Erickson said she still has concerns about whether the soil would be suitable again for farming if that were to happen.
Ryan Lindberg’s family has a farm adjacent to the parcels that could become a solar farm. He has some concerns about drainage issues but, for the most part, he likes the endeavor.
“It’s a lot better than having a Walmart next to you or a huge subdivision,” he said.
Susan Vela: 815-987-1392; svela@rrstar.com; @susanvela
Above is from: http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180911/poplar-grove-may-tweak-zoning-rules-to-allow-solar-farm
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