Article
New solar ordinance proposal moves forward
Franklin News Post|Jason Dunovant|Dec 22, 2021
The Franklin County Planning Commission is moving forward with a new zoning ordinance for solar power generation facilities that is expected to provide additional protections for the county. A rough draft of the new ordinance was completed Dec. 14. Work has been ongoing on a new solar ordinance for the past few months. The decision for the new ordinance came shortly after energy company Energix US proposed a new solar farm in Westlake back in April.
The Franklin County Planning Commission is moving forward with a new zoning ordinance for solar power generation facilities that is expected to provide additional protections for the county. A rough draft of the new ordinance was completed Dec. 14. Work has been ongoing on a new solar ordinance for the past few months. The decision for the new ordinance came shortly after energy company Energix US proposed a new solar farm in Westlake back in April.
The Franklin County Planning Commission is moving forward with a new zoning ordinance for solar power generation facilities that is expected to provide additional protections for the county. A rough draft of the new ordinance was completed Dec. 14.
Work has been ongoing on a new solar ordinance for the past few months. The decision for the new ordinance came shortly after energy company Energix US proposed a new solar farm in Westlake back in April.
In June, Engergix US agreed to postpone their proposal for the solar farm to allow Franklin County time to update its regulations and zoning ordinance on solar farms. The company eventually scrapped their proposal in September after some public backlash.
The new solar ordinance being …
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The Franklin County Planning Commission is moving forward with a new zoning ordinance for solar power generation facilities that is expected to provide additional protections for the county. A rough draft of the new ordinance was completed Dec. 14.
Work has been ongoing on a new solar ordinance for the past few months. The decision for the new ordinance came shortly after energy company Energix US proposed a new solar farm in Westlake back in April.
In June, Engergix US agreed to postpone their proposal for the solar farm to allow Franklin County time to update its regulations and zoning ordinance on solar farms. The company eventually scrapped their proposal in September after some public backlash.
The new solar ordinance being developed by the county will provide more control over how a facility will not only be constructed and operate, but also how solar panels are decommissioned and removed when they are no longer being used. The new ordinance would greatly expand current zoning ordinance for solar facilities.
Earlier this year, Appalachian Power announced it was taking bids for solar projects with more requests for proposals expected in the coming years. The influx is due to the the Clean Economy Act passed last year that requires utilities to provide totally carbon-fee electricity to its Virginia customers by 2050.
Franklin County has also received additional interest from energy companies looking to construct solar farms in the county. Energix US is currently considering another location for its solar farm in the Wirtz area.
At its Dec. 14 meeting, the Franklin County Planning Commission agreed to hold a public hearing on the newly proposed solar ordinance. The meeting will be held on Jan. 11.
“We need to talk to the public and see if we are on the right page,” said Sherri Mitchell, chairman and Snow Creek District representative.
If approved by the planning commission on January, the solar ordinance would move to the Franklin County Board of Supervisors for final approval and adoption in February.