SYCAMORE – William Klein, 64, said three generations have lived in his home on Keslinger Road in DeKalb, which was why it was important for him to keep his home as long as he possibly could after retirement.
But Klein said the electric bills in his older and nonenergy-efficient home with an electric furnace can get pretty high during the winter months. With his January bill being $740 and having monthly bills larger than that in years past, he said, he thought he’d have to move – until he found a way to get solar energy for his country house, he said.
Klein said he wanted to share his story of installing his personal 9,900-watt solar energy system with the help of federal and state incentive programs ahead of a solar farm project public hearing in DeKalb County.
“I thought, ‘We’re to the point now where it would make for a really good story to let people know of the possibility of solar,’ ” Klein said.
None of the about 20 attendees publicly opposed the proposed DeKalb County community solar farm project during a public hearing Thursday at the DeKalb County Administrative Center east conference room, 110 E. Sycamore St.
Energy company Borrego Solar submitted an application for a 2-megawatt, 13.7-acre solar garden on Elva Road, about 750 feet west of Anderland Road, in Milan Township. The project proposal is the first to come through after the DeKalb County solar power ordinance went into effect April 1.
Ron Klein, county public hearing officer, said several county departments – including the health and highway departments – either had no problems with the project or recommended approval. When Ron Klein mentioned concerns about farmland drain tile damage during construction of the solar garden, Borrego Solar panel members said it wasn’t a huge risk, and no drain tile problems will arise during the building process.
By the end of the hearing, Ron Klein said he would “certainly recommend” approval for the project through energy company Borrego Solar.
“I think it’s a nice addition to the county, and I haven’t heard any objections here,” Ron Klein said.
Margaret Blum spoke at the public hearing as due diligence coordinator at GreenbergFarrow, which is acting as an agent for Borrego Solar. She said the project itself will occupy 16 acres, but the remaining 60 acres of the leased parcel still will be usable farmland.
Blum said construction for the project will take four to six months with two or three trucks a day driving by, but there won’t be any noise other than that generated during construction. She said the project will not require any utilities from the county and will need equipment maintenance about three or four times a year.
Project officials said the solar garden can power 300 homes, and residents in the ComEd service area will be eligible to use it.
Sarah Wochos, Midwest director of policy and business development for Borrego Solar, said she anticipated healthy discussion during the meeting, especially since Borrego was the first to test the ordinance.
Meryl Domina, a member of climate action group 350Kishwaukee and a DeKalb resident, said during the public hearing that she is in favor of the project and excited about renewable energy coming to DeKalb County.
“I think it’s great that the county is starting to use it,” Domina said.
Ray Brownfield, owner of real estate brokerage company Land Pro in Oswego, said he attended the public hearing in DeKalb County for his own informational purposes. He said he’s been getting a lot of calls from solar companies asking if he’d be interested in leasing land for solar energy.
Brownfield said he’s skeptical about the project’s 25-year lease, but, he said, it was interesting to hear the Borrego Solar project presentation during the public hearing. He said most of his general questions about solar farms were answered, and that he would be a little more open to the idea for his company going forward.
“So far, it sounds like it may be a pretty good thing,” Brownfield said.