(Adair Co.) The Adair County Board of Supervisors heard concerns from two county residents regarding solar panel farms that are being put in parts of the County by MidAmerican Energy.
Curt Beane told the Board that after he received a letter from National Land Realty that stated they were working with buyers looking for certain parcels of land, he learned that MidAmerican Energy was working on a solar project. Beane told the Board that he wants them to put some regulations in place before things get out of control. He said he was a non-participant with the MidAmerican Energy wind turbine project, yet he has a wind turbine near his property line and he said that would not have happened if there were regulations in place.
Joanie Finck told the Supervisors that she has no problem with residential or personal solar power, but she doesn’t want solar farms taking over the county.
Finck asked that the county immediately begin working on an ordinance to get some protections in place before it is too late, including setbacks from property lines as well as numbers of acres utilized for the panels.
Supervisor Jodie Hoadley said she feels that landowners should be able to use their land as they see fit as long as they look out for their neighbors and the safety and wellbeing of others.
The Supervisors held a lengthy discussion and in the end they all agreed to look into some ordinances.
