When will solar ban lift in Cumberland? Draft plan considered

Back in February, Cumberland County supervisors made a decision on a solar ban. They pressed pause on any new solar applications, of which they were getting several. The reason, as they explained at the time, is currently the county doesn’t have a full solar policy. That is, there’s no specifics defining what is or isn’t allowed.

In neighboring counties like Prince Edward and Buckingham, solar companies and county planning department staff have both said having a clear policy makes things much easier. The companies understand what they’re required to do, in order to move forward with a project and the county staff know what they need to look for in an application.

Now that solar ban doesn’t last forever. In fact, it only runs for one more month, wrapping up in August. By then, unless something changes, the suspension on new solar applications in Cumberland would be lifted. The first step in making that happen took place this week, as the Cumberland planning commission held a public hearing on the new proposal, before recommending that supervisors approve it. That starts a domino effect of sorts. Earlier this month, in their Tuesday, July 9 meeting, supervisors agreed that once the planning commission had read through the proposed policy, held the hearing and took a vote, a date would be set for supervisors to get involved.

With the planning commission’s work done, now supervisors have a set date for a hearing of their own. They’ll hold a public hearing on the proposal on Tuesday, Aug. 13, during their regular meeting.

What does the draft policy say?

A look at the draft policy, which The Herald has a copy of, stretches beyond just solar. Cumberland staff went in depth to make sure everything is covered, including wind options as well. But what the policy does overall is set a clear path once the solar ban is lifted.

First, an interested group or energy company can reach out to county staff and say that they want to put together a project. Staff will then meet with the group, making sure they have all requirements before filing an application. There are 19 requirements detailed in the draft policy, all of which are needed to move forward and send an application to the planning commission for consideration. That includes the simple things such as a site plan, how the energy will be used and potential benefits to the community.

It also has to include details on the applicant’s financial status, to ensure they have the necessary funds to actually do the project; reports on how this would impact public health and safety; reports on how this would impact the environment and what the company will do to avoid any harm. There also has to be a decommissioning plan in place, looking down the road to explain how the company would shut the operation down within a 12-month period, if or when that becomes necessary.

One of the biggest issues in the draft policy involves land use. Basically, Cumberland officials would be asked to take impact on local land use into account for any project. How would this affect neighboring properties? Would this prevent any residents from their own projects? And how would this affect local farms in the area?

“The County may condition its approval of the application on the applicant taking additional reasonable action related to the impacts of the proposed energy facility,” the draft policy says.

That means the company could be required to make a ‘good-faith’ effort to maintain and provide proper care of the land during construction, to avoid any damage both to the property itself or neighboring properties. It also might be asked to provide for community improvements in the area.

Detailing a timeline for projects

The policy also spells out a clear timeline that companies have to follow. Within 30 days of announcing their interest, the company has to notify Cumberland staff of a date, time and location where they plan to meet with neighbors of the property and other residents. Within 60 days, that meeting has to take place. Then within 90 days of that first meeting, the company has to file a completed application.

Once that’s filed, then the county is on the clock. Within two months of getting the application, the planning and zoning administrator has to decide if the application is complete. If it is, then it goes to the planning commission for discussion. Within 210 days of that first meeting, the county supervisors must either approve or deny the application. If either the county or the company want to delay the decision, they can jointly agree for an extension of up to 120 days.

Why consider lifting the solar ban?

Solar is one option during budget discussions that supervisors talked about as a way to generate new revenue. The problem right now for Cumberland is that 56% of general fund revenue comes from property taxes, including real estate. Recoveries make up another 16% and the third highest money source is state revenue at 9%.

Combined, those three sources make up 81% of the county’s general fund revenue. It was pointed out at the time by Cumberland County Administrator Derek Stamey the county is heavily dependent on taxes. If anything were to change with the economy, if more people moved away, that could seriously impact Cumberland’s budget.

It also means that Cumberland has been forced to remain at the higher end of tax rates, since that carries so much of the budget. As mentioned, one potential positive for the upcoming fiscal year comes from solar. The county expects to bring in an estimated $1.363 million in fees and taxes from the handful of solar projects that have been approved and are moving forward.

But before considering any more projects, supervisors wanted a clear policy, one that addresses some of the concerns from residents. Before applications were suspended, several solar public hearings drew a crowd. Residents were concerned about potential toxins leaking from facilities into the water, loud noises from the solar farm, damage to roads during construction and potential for increased flooding, to name a few.

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