Local developer urges 8.5-acre by-right threshold for 3 MW solar projects

Gary Hurrell, who identified himself as owner of Elevation Energy during public comment, asked the Washington County Planning Commission to revise its proposed solar ordinance to allow larger by-right projects. Hurrell said the utility’s 3-megawatt net-metering limit typically equates to an 8–8.5 acre installation and asked the commission to consider 8.5 acres rather than the draft’s 5-acre threshold.

“I was going to speak about the ordinance for maybe give some background…so given that, 3 megawatts typically equates to an 8 acre, 8.5 acre size,” Hurrell said. He described past work on a Green Valley microgrid and told the commission he expects construction to begin in the coming weeks on a 3 MW project in Washington County. Hurrell said projects of the scale he described can include batteries and backup generation and estimated about $5,000,000 in savings over the project’s life, a figure he presented as his projection.

Commissioners asked whether anything else in the ordinance raised red flags; Hurrell said he had not yet noted other concerns but offered to assist staff and answer questions.