To the Editor:
I support private property rights, including for the development of solar energy generation in Hancock County. We need an ordinance that allows the construction of new utility-scale solar projects with reasonable guidelines to protect public and environmental health and safety.
Farmers and landowners should have the freedom to choose what they use their property for. If that use is consistent with protecting environmental and public health and safety, then it should certainly be their right to pursue it. Upholding private property rights should absolutely be a priority for our county as I’m sure it is for our residents.
As a retired electrician, I’ve seen how effective and efficient solar has gotten over the years. We need new sources of energy as our power plants age, and solar is the most cost-effective way to add generation. It also puts a lot of people to work in good-paying, local, blue-collar jobs.
I’m in favor of a pro-solar ordinance that embraces utility-scale development with reasonable guidelines that allow projects to move forward while protecting the environment and public health.
Gary Rogers
Greenfield
