Elbert County OKs Sundance Solar permits after hours of public comment and technical review

The Elbert County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve permits for the Sundance Solar project on May 15, 2025, approving permit 10-41 (permit number 1041-2024-1310) and a related special use request (SUR 202-4028) after public comment and extended presentations by the applicant.

The vote followed more than two hours of public comment and a detailed applicant response on safety, decommissioning, property values, wildlife and traffic. Commissioner Schroeder said the board must "put our personal thoughts, our personal feelings, aside and just look at the material and the facts," and then moved to approve the project; the roll call was Commissioner Buck, Nay; Commissioner Schroeder, Aye; Commissioner McDaniel, Aye.

Why it matters: the project would site a utility-scale solar array with on-site battery energy storage near an existing substation in Elbert County, a development the applicants said is intended to serve local customers. Approvals authorize the county-level land-use permits the developer needs to proceed; additional federal and agency reviews (FAA, DOD, state agencies) were discussed as part of the record.

Public comment and community concerns Residents raised a range of concerns during the public-comment periods, including potential effects on property values, wildlife and prairie habitat fragmentation, hail damage, traffic during construction, local water use, and electromagnetic effects on medical devices. Beverly Durant, a nearby resident, asked the board to "preserve the beauty of our county. Do not let this project go through." Another resident, Elizabeth Patton, recounted long-term health effects from inhaling smoke in a car fire and said she was "still affected 20 years later" and worried about long-term risks if panels or batteries burn.

Applicant response and technical points Representatives of Cypress Creek, the project's developer, responded point by point. They said they had organized their reply around the top community…