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Brown County Planning Commission hears presentation on Willis Solar Facility siting and zoning options
Summary
Michael Volker of Doniphan Electric & Brown Atchison Electric Cooperative briefed the Brown County Planning Commission on the Willis Solar Facility and recommended siting standards for small solar (described as under 2 mW). Chair Bill Vonderschmidt will consult county commissioners on whether the commission should focus future work on solar zoning and report back July 9.
Chair Bill Vonderschmidt convened the Brown County Planning Commission at 8:30 a.m. on June 26 and introduced Michael Volker, manager at Doniphan Electric & Brown Atchison Electric Cooperative, who presented on the proposed Willis Solar Facility and broader small-solar siting considerations.
Volker summarized the cooperative’s role and described the Willis Solar Facility’s expected outputs and the project’s potential to reduce local power-production risk. He framed "small solar" installations as those under about 2 megawatts and said they differ from large-scale projects because they can remain locally owned and provide local benefits to customers and grid resilience.
In discussing siting, Volker recommended a package of conditions he said would limit community impacts: appropriate setbacks; agreements requiring maintenance and reporting; bonded disposal and reclamation clauses; heirs-and-assigns language to preserve obligations after ownership changes; and vegetative treatment (planting native grasses) instead of rock or gravel surfacing. He also described properly sited small arrays as producing low-to-negligible noise and not requiring blinking obstruction lights, and recommended locating projects close to existing Brown-Atchison substations where feasible.
Volker told the commission he would support collaborative zoning development for small solar but cautioned that overly onerous requirements could favor only large developers with the time and resources to comply. He said Brown-Atchison Electric intends to be a partner in that process.
Chair Vonderschmidt said he will meet with the Brown County Commissioners to ask whether the Planning Commission should concentrate its next effort on solar siting or broaden its focus to other zoning topics; he will report back at the commission’s July 9 meeting.
Votes at a glance: The commission approved the May 29, 2025 minutes (motion by Commissioner Clif Heiniger; second by Commissioner Wyatt Kerl; vote tally not specified). Commissioner Annette Hoskins moved to adjourn, seconded by Commissioner Wesley Selland; the commission adjourned (vote tally not specified).
