State approves rezoning 700 acres in Hancock County for use as a solar farm (100 MW, Maine)

[jpak]

https://bangordailynews.com/2018/08/11/news/hancock/state-approves-rezoning-700-acres-in-hancock-county-for-use-as-a-solar-farm/

State officials on Wednesday approved a request from a developer to rezone 700 acres in Hancock County to make way for development of a 100-megawatt solar farm.

The Land Use Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the zoning change, which will enable the parcel in Township 16 in eastern Hancock County to be developed into a commercial-scale solar power site, said Samantha Horn, LUPC’s planning manager. She said the commission did not receive any comments from the public opposing the zoning change, which is expected to go into effect Aug. 23.

The site is roughly a mile away from a wind turbine that is part of Novatus Energy’s 51-megawatt Hancock Wind farm, which, according to a report by Vox, has the tallest land-based wind turbines in the country. Electricity transmission lines owned by power distribution company Emera run through the proposed solar development site.

The change from a general classification zone to commercial does not allow for other commercial development of the property, which was cleared a few years ago with the intent of using it for blueberry cultivation, according to Horn. She said the zoning would automatically revert to general classification should the proposed solar farm be decommissioned.

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[tonyt53]

1. Good for the people of Maine!