Residents press county on solar-panel damage numbers and question road work tied to wind-turbine project

During the public-comment portion of the Henderson County Fiscal Court meeting on Jan. 13, residents raised two distinct local concerns: conflicting company figures on damaged solar panels and whether recent road work was preparatory for a wind-turbine project.

Cindy Bickwermert told the court that in August Geronimo Power Unbridled Solar reported 4,000 panels damaged by hail and 32 by gunfire and that she was later told 9,600 panels had been replaced. She said she had been following the matter in good faith and described a lack of transparency. Bickwermert also expressed concern about potential environmental contamination from panel components, naming cadmium and tellurium as elements she said should be tested. Judge/Executive Brad Schneider asked whether she had notified the State Environmental Protection Agency; she had not. Schneider said county magistrates and the codes department lack the technical expertise to conduct testing and offered to provide her the State EPA contact information. Bickwermert said testing during the BESS moratorium would be appropriate.

Resident David Mays said Middle Delaware Road had been blacktopped unusually thick and alleged the paving was to prepare the road for the Wind Turbine Project. County Engineer Nick Stallings addressed the claim: he provided calculated tonnage for 4.67 miles paved at a half-inch thickness (approximately 3,990 tons) and said the contractor invoiced 3,860 tons — numbers Stallings presented to show the overlay was not the multi-inch depth Mays alleged. Stallings said the shoulder issue remained because a machine operator became ill mid-project and the work remains to be completed; he said he was not directed to prepare the road for turbines and had not seen Cordelio’s proposed site map. Stallings offered to meet with Mays and do a core sample to verify pavement depth. Judge Schneider reminded Mays that the Planning Commission would handle project-related hearings and discouraged further discussion in Fiscal Court.

Neither Geronimo Power nor Cordelio officials spoke at the meeting, and no technical testing or company response was recorded in the court minutes. County officials said they would provide contact information for state environmental regulators and that engineering staff would follow up on the road-surface questions.