Johnson County to hold special meeting Monday on regulating large-scale solar facilities
After a special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners on Monday, Johnson County will be one step closer to deciding on regulations to incorporate large-scale solar facilities in rural areas.
At 2 p.m. in the Johnson County Administrative Building in Olathe, county commissioners will take action on the planning commission’s latest recommendations for regulating a solar energy generating facility submitted to the board on May 10.
Those recommendations include a 1,000-acre maximum for facilities spread across a 2,560-acre space. The Johnson County Planning Commission noted that the extra space is provided because it would be difficult to put all facilities directly next to each other due to the county’s topography and landowner participation.
The planning commission also recommended that only 70% of the space be covered by solar panels so the rest can be used to retain vegetation and open space, manage stormwater and allow for wildlife corridors.
The facilities should be two miles from a city border, according to the planning commission. The panels and equipment should also be hidden from view using vegetation, planting trees or decorative fencing, it said.
Johnson County has been considering changing regulations to allow for the utility-scale solar facilities since 2021.
In 2020, Florida-based energy company NextEra Energy proposed the West Gardner Solar Project that it says would supply 320 megawatts of energy. The company’s website says it hopes to begin project operations by the end of 2024 if the county and state approve their plans.
Because the facilities are so large and can last for decades, the county said it must carefully consider the impact on development and growth of cities and the preservation of open space and rural character.
The planning commission has been researching with the planning, housing and community development department, consultants, and taking resident feedback to work with the board of county commissioners to create standards for the project.
After a round of recommendations from the board and the commission, the board will review and take action on the latest suggestions.
This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 11:23 AM.