ABOVE: Danville Planning & Zoning Commission members (L to R) Michael Hall, Aaron Troglia, Chairman Pete Goodwin, Tammy Wilson, and Adam Brown. Ashton Greer did not attend due to a conflict of interest.
By unanimous 5-0 votes the Danville Planning and Zoning Commission has forwarded to the City Council special use petitions for a pair of Soltage co-located five mega-watt solar energy facilities, along Lynch Road across from Thyssenkrupp’s location. This would be northeast of Soltage’s about 30 acre solar facility at Voorhees and Michigan near Vicsofan, which came online last fall.
These Soltage projects would both cover 58 acres on 68 acre lots, with a vegetation screen buffer. There would be a total of about 24,000 single access trailer solar panels, none more than eleven feet off the ground. The project is planned to produce electricity for 40 years before being decommissioned. A presentation by Soltage indicated that over those 40 years, all applicable taxing entities would receive a total of over $2.1 million. Danville District 118 would receive just over $1 million in property tax revenue, with the city receiving over $400,000.
In addition, there are plans for a $950,000 Community Benefit Agreement for the City of Danville. $800,000 of that would be for an Economic Development Fund, and a significant portion of the rest would involve the Fischer Theatre.
One person speaking in favor of the special use petitions was Thyssenkrupp Senior Health and Safety Manager David Rand. He said Soltage’s commitment to allow Thyssenkrupp to purchase 40% of the power produced on these new sites would be a huge advantage not just with their regular competition, but also with Thyssenkrupp locations in other countries.
Soltage Vice-President for Development Jonathan Roberts stated that 40% is the maximum they could offer Thyssenkrupp, and that they are glad to do as much as they can for a neighbor.
AUDIO: Under state law on community solar projects we are limited to 40% of the output. Power can only go to one commercial subscriber.
Roberts says a project this size, if it were only powering households, could power about 2,700 homes during the course of a year. He says it would take about a year to build after approval.
(1st Picture) Soltage’s Jonathan Roberts (L) and James Roucher (R) explain their company’s Lynch Road plans. (2nd Picture) Thyssenkrupp’s David Rand explains the benefit of having access to 40% of the new solar power. (3rd Picture) Erich Hannah, son of the property owners, explains how the proposed deal would benefit his family.
While no one spoke directly against the project, comments from the City of Danville advised caution on this vote, as this is one area where industrial development was hoped for; especially after the departures of Quaker Oats and Hyster-Yale. Director of Public Works Dave Ruwe said the City Council will now be able to make that consideration, when this comes before them at a Wednesday, March 18th Council meeting.
AUDIO: The only thing I just asked for consideration on is the fact that this is part of a mega-site that’s been presented to the state, and put out for marketing purposes as a mega-site. So, that was just one of the considerations that we wanted to make sure was involved in the thought process there.
(By the way, that City Council meeting is on Wednesday the 18th due to Tuesday the 17th being Primary Election Day.)
Erich Hannah, whose parents own the property these Soltage solar facilities would be on, says his family has wanted to turn the corn and soybean farm into something else for quite a while.
AUDIO: We’ve been wanting to develop this. But unfortunately, there’s been no interest in it for over 40 years now. This is a way for it to be developed. And instead of farming corn, we’re going to farm electricity.
The five Danville Planning & Zoning Commission YES votes on both projects came from Michael Hall, Aaron Troglia, Pete Goodwin, Tammy Wilson, and Adam Brown. Ashton Greer did not attend, due to a conflict of interest as executive director of the Fischer Theatre.
