Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Granville County commissioners deny Duke Energy rezoning for 75‑MW solar farm, 4‑3
Summary
After a daylong legislative hearing with hours of public testimony and expert presentations, the Granville County Board of Commissioners voted 4‑3 to deny Duke Energy Progress LLC’s request to rezone three parcels for a proposed ground‑mounted solar farm and battery storage project.
Granville County commissioners voted 4‑3 on Dec. 1 to deny a rezoning request by Duke Energy Progress LLC to allow a 75‑megawatt solar farm and 27‑megawatt battery energy storage system on three parcels off Satterwhite Road.
The proposal would have rezoned roughly 487 acres from Agricultural‑Residential (AR‑40) to an Agricultural Support Enterprises Conditional Zoning District (ASE‑CZ). The planning board had recommended denial by 4‑1, saying the application conflicted with the county’s 2018 comprehensive plan goal of preserving rural character and conserving agricultural resources.
Supporters, including landowner Norman Thorpe and Duke Energy representatives, told commissioners the site was largely timberland, not active row crop farmland, and that the project would bring economic benefits. “The energy generated will power 12,000 homes year after year from this project,” Norman Thorpe said during public comment. Company presenters and hired experts also emphasized larger setbacks, enhanced vegetative buffers and wildlife corridors, decommissioning commitments and reports they said showed no measurable effect on nearby property values.
Duke Energy’s lead developer, Colin Welch, told the board the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
