HARDIN COUNTY, Ky. (WDRB) -- Residents in Hardin County gathered for a meeting Thursday at the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service (111 Opportunity Way off Ring Road) in Elizabethtown to learn more about large-scale solar projects taking place in unincorporated Cecilia.
Organizers believe the projects will do more harm than good.
Hardin County Citizens for Responsible Solar was organized in opposition to a planned ibV energy solar farm around Cecilia and others following behind it.
The two-hour meeting consisted of group representatives showcasing their research to uninformed community members about the impact of industrial solar farms and how developers are probing parts of the county.
A major topic of discussionwas the effect on property values and taxes if solar farms are installed.
The first project underway is a quarter mile from Trina Martin's house.
"I can't imagine that it wouldn't decrease property values because people that live in rural America, that's what they want," said the local real-estate agent who is afraid her livelihood and job would be in jeopardy. "I don't even want to forecast because Cecilia is an area that lots of people are drawn to.”
A map created by the group shows the size and location of five proposed solar projects, but during the meeting organizers say in total there are nine proposed solar projects, so far, between Cecilia and Stephensburg.
ibV Energy Partners is the company that proposed the first project for the area.
"We're going through the permitting process for that,” said Robin Saiz, Vice President of Business Development for ibV Energy Partners, when it comes to a power purchase agreement he says has been signed and executed with LG&E and KU.
Saiz said it’s been slated and approved at public service commission level.
A PPA agreement typically includes the design, permitting and installation of a solar energy system on a customer's property in the financial arrangement.
"It takes more research and outreach to get the information out there that we are not going to decrease your property values and increase your taxes,” Saiz explains. “Actually, we are going to help with the tax situation because we’re bringing in around $100 million of tax investments into the county."
Daniel Feeser, president of the grassroots group, lives across the street from a proposed solar location, and said the group is working to request an 18-month moratorium for all solar projects in Hardin County.
A paper and digital petition has been created to get more support for it to ensure time for public education and clarity on requirements for industrial solar in Hardin County.
Many others at the meeting, also residents of Cecilia, all agree there are no issues with solar panels but would prefer to see them in places such as abandoned coal mines, industrial areas, along highways and on rooftops – not next door.
"When you look at states like California shutting down nuclear powerplants, and they are putting in solar fields, and they can’t support their own electrical demand, so they are borrowing from all over the country."
Story will be updated.
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