Public weighs in on proposed Summit Lake Solar project

Yahoo

3 days ago

May 27—WORTHINGTON — The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission joined Summit Lake Solar, LLC Thursday evening to offer a public information and environmental review scoping meeting for Nobles County residents at the Worthington Events Center.
Craig Janezich, energy facilities planner, and Sam Weaver, environmental review manager for Minnesota Department of Commerce, were on the panel with Summit Lake Solar's Alia Mohammad, permitting specialist, and Tom Karas, senior developer, as well as Jeremy Duehr, an attorney from Fredrikson and Byron.
The meeting began with information about the project, proposed to be constructed on a 1,900-acre parcel near the unincorporated community of Reading, before allowing the public to ask questions.
Summit Lake Solar (National Grid Renewables Development), headquartered in Bloomington, develops, constructs, owns and operates renewable energy projects nationwide. Their plan is to construct a 200-megawatt utility-scale solar energy conversion facility and a 200-MW battery energy storage system (BESS) near Reading.
The project would connect into the existing Nobles Substation, with targeted completion in 2028 with construction as early as fall 2027. A joint siting application was submitted for both Summit Lake Solar and Summit Lake Storage projects to Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in February.
The energy storage system takes in alternating current (AC) electricity then converts it to direct current (DC) electricity to store within its batteries. When needed, the system converts the stored DC power back into AC and reliably discharges electricity to the grid. AC electricity is then sent to homes and businesses to power electronics.
The Summit Lake panel explained vegetative screening will be implemented on a case-by-case scenario. The projects are designed to avoid tree clearing and existing trees and windbreaks around residences will be maintained and provide some natural vegetative screening.
The economic benefits they listed include $500,500 in total production tax revenue to local governments, $400,500 to Nobles County annually, $100,100 to both Summit Lake and Elk townships and 250 construction jobs at peak construction.
Weaver, who works with energy environmental review and analysis at the Commerce department, said their office acts as technical advisors to the commission. They provide data driven objective analysis of the potential impacts of the proposed projects.
"We do not advocate for or against projects," he said. "We are just here to say this is what they are proposing. Our goal is to inform the decision making by the commission. The commission are the ones deciding whether or not the project goes forward."
Weaver explained that they prepare an environmental assessment, which shares an objective analysis of the project. He said he has already received numerous comments from the public and has appreciated them as they are helpful when preparing the document.
"We want to hear from you all about the potential human environmental impacts that we should study," Weaver said. "We want to know about any unique characteristics within the project area that should be considered."
He gave an example of a submitted comment about seasonal flooding after large rain events and shared that when driving around the project, he wouldn't get that type of long term local knowledge.
Verbal comments were made at the meeting, but residents may make comments online at
mn.gov/commerce/energyfacilities
or by mail or email to Weaver at
[e-mail]
or to Minnesota Department of Commerce, 85 Seventh Place E., Suite 280, St. Paul, MN 55101. The comment period ends June 5.
Marcus Raines was the first to comment before the panel.
"As a millwright, I've had the pleasure of installing and maintaining power generation equipment over the past 12 years of my career," he said. "Now I have the pleasure of representing 27,000 carpenters, millwrights and pile drivers across the Upper Midwest. We would like to thank National Grid Renewables for their ongoing collaboration, committing to paying a prevailing wage to a local trained workforce that would be constructing this project."
Raines said he looks forward to moving through the process of the project and gaining a positive environmental assessment while making the project a win for local craftspeople.
Amy Stefferud spoke next. She lives on the edge of Reading and had concerns about the BESS involving fires and leakages, as well as noise.
Mohammad said there would be full-time maintenance staff monitoring on site and explained that while fires are rare, if it does happen, the technology is developed to where they would let the fire burn within the enclosure. It would not be able to spread to other enclosures.
Karas assured the public that one would not see any flames. He also explained that noise regulations must be met.
Stefferud then asked if the project would decrease their property value.
Mohammad replied that property value studies have been conducted by solar facilities in Minnesota and they have shown there little to no effect on property values.
Russell Penning, rural Wilmont, shared some of his concerns about the project having to do with setbacks from road right-of-ways and from county drainage systems.
"I've been hired by our township in the past when we've had bad snow years to push snow back on township roads," he said. "One concern being, are the setbacks going to be far enough for safe snow removal? If we are blowing snow off roads, who's going to be liable if we're sending rocks through solar panels?"
Mohammad said there are county regulations for certain structures and facilities.
"From the center line of all roads including fences, from the solar array that are closest to the center line, it'll be approximately 85 feet away," she said. "Then from the BESS, it'll also be 90 feet away."
Penning said from his experience, he believes that is too close, stating some years he would push snow back well beyond 80 feet. His next question pertained to replacing solar panels.
"From the little bit I've looked online, the technology is growing so fast that by the time we get halfway through these solar panels projected life, they're probably going to be decommissioned and put a newer panel up," he said. "So to that point, what do you do with them?"
Mohammad said they recycle the panels after the end of their useful life. She explained they are responsible for the decommissioning process and have financial surety put in place in order to decommission all of the equipment.
She then explained in the case of a weather event, the panels can withstand 50 mph winds and golf ball-sized hail. She also said the panels are TCLP tested, meaning toxicity characteristic leaching procedures show very little to no effect of toxicity leaching.
Other public comments were made by Dwayne Wienrank, Becky Baumhoefner, James Joens, Phillip Joens, Kevin Schettler, Mallory Fritz, Nate Runke, Rod Burkard, Judy Christians, Nobles County Drainage Coordinator Loretta Halbur, Nobles County Planning and Zoning Administrator Kathy Henderschiedt and Nobles County Board Chairman Gene Metz.
While some were against the project entirely, others asked questions or gave advice to the panel.
Halbur explained how the project will impact three of the county's drainage systems, causing the system benefits to decrease due to the change in land use.
"I do look forward to National Grid Renewables submitting their petition for reroute," she said. "We will have to be in touch."
Henderschiedt requested the company be held to the county's zoning ordinance of a 150-foot setback from property lines.
Metz made it clear that he wasn't speaking as a commissioner, but as a concerned citizen. He said one of the big questions he is always asked is why can't the county set the setbacks — and they can for small projects — but they have no say on commercial grade setbacks.
The Summit Lake panel heard many comments regarding the setback from property lines and Weaver noted those are the comments they look for from the public and will review concerns.
Another public hearing is tentatively set for October.