The Jacksonville City Council made two changes to city ordinances concerning solar energy last night.
The first change last night came in the form of textual changes to the ordinance governing solar panel arrays. Jacksonville City Development Director Brian Nyberg says the approved change creates a third classification for a special use permit that allows solar panels on a commercial or industrially zone property: “[The classification] is specific to businesses either in B-4, M-1, or M-2 zoning districts. The project has to have at least 60% of the power generation stay on site or ‘behind the meter,’ as they call it. This is specific to businesses and industry. We thought this was necessary to help our local businesses and industries and do what we can to help them save money with their power expenditures.”
The textual changes were necessary due to an application to the city from Reynolds Consumer Products to place a solar on the northwestern portion of their property along East Morton Avenue. Michael Wagner, an attorney for Clayborne & Wagner LLP, acting as outside counsel for the manufacturing company, told the city council that the array would have 100% of its power stay on site, with any excess power generated back into the local grid via an agreement with Ameren. However, he said that he doesn’t expect any excess power to be generated for his client’s needs.
Wagner says there are no plans to connect in with any proposed solar projects in the vicinity that had previously came before the city council and city plans commission. He says that Reynolds’ solar project would be differentiated in that it will be done with consideration to neighbors of the plant and the power will stay on site.
Nyberg says the hope is that the energy cost offset will allow one of Jacksonville’s biggest employers to invest more money locally: “Everyone knows that Jacksonville has had a workforce problem. So, we are hoping that we can continue working with our businesses and industries as far as reinvestment into people, to property, and machinery – and do what we can to make our businesses and local economy stronger.”
Both the language changes and the first reading for a zoning change with the new special use permit passed unanimously on Monday night. The final vote on the zoning change will be made official at the January 14th city council meeting.