Tilton’s Mayor Bill Wear says the moratorium on solar projects passed by the Village Board Thursday (Sept 18th) evening will allow the village time to take care of the legalities from their own end. This would include, for example, new ordinances and regulations involving zoning rules, setbacks, blocking, fence height, and future decommissioning of the proposed project.
Mayor Wear says with Earthrise Energy’s proposed solar farm project along Catlin-Tilton Road coming within 1 1/2 miles of the village limits, the Village Board is able to take this action to “slow down the momentum of the implementation of the project;” to give Tilton a chance to take care of things ahead of time, especially from a legal perspective.
Mayor Wear says the moratorium runs through next June, and that Earthrise Energy would need to officially apply for a special use permit before Tilton can begin taking care of their own legalities concerning the project.
EARTHRISE ENERGY RESPONSE TO TILTON VILLAGE BOARD’S ACTION:
“We are monitoring the ongoing discussions about a moratorium on solar projects in Tilton. We strongly urge township leaders to consider the impact of this kind of action. Local families and schools stand to benefit from the jobs, tax revenue, and reliable energy that the Tilton Solar Project will bring. We remain committed to working with the community to address concerns and ensure the local community shares in these opportunities.” Ellie Ginis, Project Developer, Tilton Solar Project
