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Georgetown County to hold meeting on proposed 2,000-acre solar farm
Georgetown Times|Randal Seyler|Sep 23, 2022
The proposed project was up for second reading by the Georgetown County Council on Sept. 13 when residents came forward during public comment session to express concerns they had about the project and ask for further details. As a result, second reading was delayed until a community information meeting could be scheduled. During the Sept. 13 meeting, several Lambertown residents claimed they received insufficient notice about the effort and some raised concerns about drainage from the clearing of trees at the site and possible health and economic effects. “Six thousand acres that you want to build a solar farm on?” Amy Brandon said. “We need places for people to live.”
The proposed project was up for second reading by the Georgetown County Council on Sept. 13 when residents came forward during public comment session to express concerns they had about the project and ask for further details. As a result, second reading was delayed until a community information meeting could be scheduled. During the Sept. 13 meeting, several Lambertown residents claimed they received insufficient notice about the effort and some raised concerns about drainage from the clearing of trees at the site and possible health and economic effects. “Six thousand acres that you want to build a solar farm on?” Amy Brandon said. “We need places for people to live.”
GEORGETOWN — County officials have scheduled an Oct. 10 community meeting in Lambertown to discuss a proposed 2,061-acre solar farm.
The Georgetown County Planning Department scheduled the community meeting to help address concerns about the solar farm project, according to a Sept. 23 news release from the county. The meeting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at Saints Delight Pentecostal Church, 8285 Saints Delight Road, Andrews.
The request from Nashville-based Silicon Ranch seeks to rezone just over 2,000 acres off Saints Delight Road from “Forest Agriculture” to “Solar Energy Facility Floating District.” The property is currently vacant and used for timber harvesting, and currently has only a few stands of forested pines remaining, …
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GEORGETOWN — County officials have scheduled an Oct. 10 community meeting in Lambertown to discuss a proposed 2,061-acre solar farm.
The Georgetown County Planning Department scheduled the community meeting to help address concerns about the solar farm project, according to a Sept. 23 news release from the county. The meeting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at Saints Delight Pentecostal Church, 8285 Saints Delight Road, Andrews.
The request from Nashville-based Silicon Ranch seeks to rezone just over 2,000 acres off Saints Delight Road from “Forest Agriculture” to “Solar Energy Facility Floating District.” The property is currently vacant and used for timber harvesting, and currently has only a few stands of forested pines remaining, according to the news release. The site for the proposed solar farm is near Walker and Wild Horse roads.
Silicon Ranch wants to construct two 100-megawatt solar farm systems and a substation to supply solar power to the Santee Cooper grid. The proposal meets the county’s requirements for a Solar Energy Floating District. The plan also includes details of required buffers and a decommissioning plan.
The proposed project was up for second reading by the Georgetown County Council on Sept. 13 when residents came forward during public comment session to express concerns they had about the project and ask for further details. As a result, second reading was delayed until a community information meeting could be scheduled.
During the Sept. 13 meeting, several Lambertown residents claimed they received insufficient notice about the effort and some raised concerns about drainage from the clearing of trees at the site and possible health and economic effects.
“Six thousand acres that you want to build a solar farm on?” Amy Brandon said. “We need places for people to live.”
Kevin Kellahan asked the council what would become of the site after the lifespan of its solar panels elapsed. The solar farm’s lifespan is projected at “over 40 years.”
“This is going to be in my backyard,” Kellahan said. “Literally, in my backyard. It is going to kill the view that we have.”
Gina Brown, the Silicon Ranch director of economic and community development, assured attendees that research showed no effects on property values from adjacent solar farms or health effects from the panels’ electromagnetic fields.
County Planning Director Holly Richardson told the council that in addition to notification of property owners within 400 feet of the site, letters were sent to 132 adjacent property owners.
The Oct. 10 community meeting will be an open house with information stations on different topics that participants can visit. Members of the Georgetown County Planning Department, as well as the developer and property owner, Silicon Ranch Corp., will be on hand to talk with residents and answer questions.