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TILTON — Earthrise Energy’s proposed solar project along Catlin-Tilton Road that has polarized the public is waiting on the local governments involved.
According to Ellie Ginis, a project development manager, “to move forward with the proposed Tilton Solar Project, Earthrise must obtain zoning approvals from both the village of Catlin and the village of Tilton.”
Each village currently has a solar moratorium in place while zoning codes are updated to address utility-scale solar projects.
In early November, Earthrise submitted applications for special-use permits to both villages “to demonstrate our continued commitment to the project,” Ginis said. “Once the moratoriums are lifted, these applications may be revised to align with any updated zoning requirements.”
She added that during the moratorium, Earthrise will “continue to engage with project stakeholders and further develop a proposed program intended to provide direct benefits to the project community.”
The proposed project is proposed for about 1,000 acres along Catlin-Tilton Road and includes solar panels and related infrastructure.
Earthrise has owned and operated the Tilton Energy Center natural-gas peaker plant since 2021 and has been actively developing the Tilton Solar Project over the past year.
Tilton Mayor Billy Wear said people who support the wind and solar projects are “afraid to speak up. I believe there are people for it but don’t want to say for fear of social-media and neighborhood backlash.”
Those in support cite property rights and property owners being allowed to do what they want.
But Wear said villages have the right to regulate the projects too, with setbacks and other regulations.
Those who oppose the project cite among their reasons the removal of land for food production; the visibility, pollution, glare and heat radiation from the panels; and the effects on wildlife, he said.
Earlier this year, the Vermilion County Farm Bureau Board came out in support of large-scale solar facilities being built on farmland but called for a review of the siting process.
“The Vermilion County Farm Bureau has a longstanding position of strongly supporting private-property rights,” the board said. “We also support a diversified energy policy, which includes renewable energy.
“Due to the growing number of renewable energy projects across Vermilion County, our organization is calling for a review of the siting process,” the board said. “It is our belief that the emphasis for solar projects should be focused on nonproductive land.”
— JENNIFER BAILEY
