One more vote to go for Palo solar project approval

PALO — For the second night in a row, the Linn County supervisors voted 2-1 to approve a zoning change that would make way for a utility-scale solar project near Palo. It was the second of three readings required to change the zoning.

Like the first meeting Monday night, Democrats Ben Rogers and Stacey Walker voted yes while Republican Louie Zumbach voted no to change the zoning from agricultural to agricultural with a solar overlay, allowing the NextEra Duane Solar projects to be built.

The supervisors will meet again at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, for the third and final reading. The meeting will be held at the Palo Community Center, 2800 Hollenbeck Rd.

“I’m supportive of this because it’s voluntary,” Rogers said. “Nobody was forced to sign a contract. If they are owners of land, they get to decide the use of their land. This is a property rights issue.”

Zumbach, a farmer himself, said that though he has been against both solar projects the county has considered, he understands the financial motivation for farmers.

“I’m a farmer. If I were doing this personally, I’d probably be doing it, too, but it doesn’t make it right,” Zumbach said. “We need to be conscious of our neighbors. … I think we can still do a better job.”

Public comment at the meeting on Tuesday lasted a little over two hours. Attendance was less than Monday night’s meeting, and the majority of the people who spoke Tuesday were opposed to the projects.

Some residents spoke in favor of a 1,250-foot setback proposed by Zumbach and ultimately voted down Monday night.

While NextEra will develop the project, Alliant Energy has filed a proposal with the Iowa Utilities Board to buy the large-scale solar farm from NextEra and further develop it into the state’s largest solar and battery storage facility, if the utilities board approves the plan.

The Duane Arnold Solar I project proposes to use 316 acres of an 857-acre area to place photovoltaic solar arrays capable of generating up to 50 megawatts of energy.

The Duane Arnold Solar II project would use 815 acres of a 1,780-acre area to place solar arrays capable of generating up to 150 MW. It would also include a 75-MW, four-hour battery energy storage facility. The battery energy storage system will have about 96 20-by-8-foot containers that will house 7,040 lithium-ion battery modules.

NextEra representatives have said they plan to have the Palo projects operational by December 2024. Construction is projected to begin in the first quarter of 2023, if the projects are approved.

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