Huntington County puts temporary ban on solar projects
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The Huntington County Commissioners on Wednesday passed a temporary ban on all new solar energy developments in the county.
Our partners at WPTA-TV report the 5-3 vote means there will be no new solar projects for at least the next seven months.
The vote follows concerns voiced by residents about a proposed solar development, known as The Paddlefish Project, from EDF Renewables, which has its North American headquarters in San Diego, California.
The company had planned to build a solar array that would span parts of both Huntington and Wells counties. However, the commissioners put the project on pause in April after residents pushed back.
“We’re going to put the skids on this, so the public can come in to voice their opinions to the Huntington County Commissioners. And then we’re going to take all our lists back to our Huntington County Plan commission to have them look at everything that’s going on,” Tom Wall, president of the Huntington County Commissioners told WPTA in April.
Following Wednesday’s vote, both supporters and opponents of the solar project expressed their pleasure with the decision.
“It gives us the opportunity to do some education, do some community engagement and talk to people and hopefully help alleviate some of these fears,” said Estana Clift, a supporter of solar.
Bob Bolen, a resident opposing the solar efforts, said, “The community’s coming out in big, big numbers. We’ve got petitions out with 5,000 signatures. It’s very, very clear that the citizens of Huntington County—we don’t want solar.”
Once the temporary ban expires, the commissioners said they will reevaluate and vote on whether solar developments can continue in the county.