Opposition
Other wind or solar projects nearby that encountered opposition
Facebook pages or websites organizing opposition
In the News
County officials appear to support solar farm developments. Concerns in board meetings are largely budgetary. A safety tax for a new ambulance was defeated in 2018 and again in 2020 (66% ‘no’), threatening the County’s ambulance service; small expenditures are a problem; tax collection is a problem (software). 2019 tax bills had not been sent out as of February 2021.
The local digital publication, The Villagers Voice, regularly (almost monthly) prints letters to the editor from Seth Whitehead, Executive Director of the Illinois Petroleum Resources Board. They are pro-fossil fuel and anti-renewable energy.
Traffic and Roads
March 10, 2021: Local press from a public hearing:
Some complaints about the impact construction was/would have on roads initially. We might want to keep that in mind, since the Highway Engineer sits on the Solar Committee.
March 18, 2021: Special County Board meeting to approve updated landscaping plan and decommissioning plan, and to include additional acreage. One community member requested a change in construction route, citing dangerous trucks where children ride bikes and road damage. Power company representative agreed to the request. 3 of 5 board members were present and approved the plan. They were: Ken Usery, Ron McAnulty and Clint Spencer.
August 9, 2022: Board meeting minutes:
“Highway Engineer Brian Ray reported he had been in contact with E.T. Simonds, who has been in contact with D.E. Shaw. They are going through and doing inventory on the roads that need repaired (sic) from the solar farms being constructed. Ray said they have an extensive list and several residents have been inquiring about the roads needing repaired (sic).
Public Hearings and Events
April 14, 2021: Public hearing for Invenergy, LLC, 1500 acres. Second solar farm in the county. Positive opinions from leaseholders. Some communities are concerned about decommissioning farms from non-leaseholders. One speaker was concerned about property values and was approached very late to sign the “good neighbor” policy (she did not sign).
April 1, 2022: Local digital publication The Villagers Voice ran a cute fake editorial on the solar farm ‘built without storage’ for April Fool’s day—shows the community may have a fairly favorable opinion of solar farms.
February 6, 2020: The White County Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Meeting: representatives from the Invenergy White County Solar Energy Center attended, presented the project for a solar farm in northern White County and answered questions.
