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Resident urges county to cap solar development to match local consumption, citing revenue for courthouse debt
Summary
Public commenter Woodson Irby asked the board to set a county cap of roughly 400 MW of solar (about 4,000 acres) to generate estimated upfront revenues of $12 million and average annual revenue sharing of about $1.156 million over 20 years to help courthouse debt service.
At the start of public comment, resident Woodson Irby urged the board to adopt guidelines limiting total solar kilowatt production in the county to an amount no higher than the county's total kilowatt consumption. Irby proposed allowing 400 megawatts of solar generation—approximately 4,000 acres, or roughly 2% of county acreage—and presented estimated revenue figures intended to illustrate the fiscal benefit for the county.
Irby said the 400 MW scenario could generate about $12 million in upfront payments and produce an average of approximately $1,156,000 per year for the county over 20 years, assuming revenue-share indexing and a 45¢ per $100 tax rate context. He offered to share his detailed calculations with staff and asked the board to consider the figures as the county updates ordinances and policies that regulate renewable energy production.
