HEATHSVILLE—Following another round of revisions and a public hearing, the Northumberland planning commission on Thursday, July 20, voted 7-0 to recommend a revised solar facility ordinance to the board of supervisors for approval.
The recommended changes include proposals to prohibit solar energy facilities in residential general (R1) and residential waterfront (R2) zones, to add a required environmental impact statement and landscape surety bond, and to reduce the time for updating the decommissioning plan from every five years to two years.
Jacob Carasella of Energy Right noted the “strong decommissioning language” and “means of compensation to the county that will benefit the entire community” through revenue or assets. However, Carasella urged the commission not to prohibit solar facilities in R1 and R2 and instead….
