Clinton County Board of Supervisors to vote on $250M solar farm project Thursday night

GRAND MOUND, Iowa Solar Damper, — After months of public feedback and hours-long discussions, the Clinton County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on a proposed solar farm in Grand Mound, Iowa, at a meeting set for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 26.

Chicago-based solar energy development company Ranger Power previously filed a zoning application to build a $250 million Hawkeye Solar Project over 1,500 acres of farmland near Grand Mound. It also includes its smaller Hatching Solar Project.

The land would be leased from 17 landowners for the Hawkeye project and another five for the Hatchling project.

Ranger Power submitted applications for the two projects to the planning and zoning commission in January. In order for the solar farm to be built, the Clinton County Board of Supervisors will have to rezone the land from what's called A-1 (Prime Agriculture) to RE (Renewable Energy Overlay).Solar project DC motor

The Clinton County Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing Feb. 10 and recommended the Board of Supervisors deny the project. The Board of Supervisors get to make the final decision.Solar tracker actuator

In November 2021, Sam O'Keefe, the project development manager, said the solar panels would generate enough energy to power 50,000 homes and businesses in Eastern Iowa. The panels are meant to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by hundreds of thousands of metric tons annually — the equivalent of taking around 100,000 cars off the road.Solar Tracking Controller,

O'Keefe said the panels will rotate towards the sun and would be no taller than full-grown corn at full height.

The Clinton County Board of Supervisors met on April 7 to discuss Ranger Power's application at length. The board reviewed the county's ordinances point-by-point with its lawyers and engineers, asking how Ranger Power met each of those points.

"We need to make decisions on, I think, about what we would like to see with this project before we finalize any decisions," board member Daniel Srp said at the meeting on April 7.NMRV Series Worm Gear Reducer,

One point of discussion, "Does the proposed site support the purpose of the solar project?" was Section 3.6.10 (A). It reads, in part, "Encourage development in line with the master plan for that area: (control urban sprawl, maintain rural character, provide more job opportunities, contribute to small communities)."Planetary gear motor,

During that April meeting, board member Jim Irwin Jr. said he tried asking for a percentage of the construction jobs through local unions and contractors but explained, "we're not getting anywhere right now with that."