The Madison County Board recently blocked a request for a special use permit for a commercial solar facility in Glen Carbon. The project, proposed by Trentino Solar LLC, failed to gain a second vote after the Zoning Board of Appeals previously voted to deny the request. This decision highlights the local zoning challenges and community opposition that can stall renewable energy deployments, even when developers present formal proposals for commercial-scale solar.
Log in to join the discussion
Another solar project killed by a zoning board. It is always the same story. Did the developer even provide a site plan that addressed the local grid interconnection points, or was this just a land grab attempt?
The lack of a second vote suggests a total lack of political will. When the Zoning Board of Appeals hits a 4-0 denial, the full board usually just follows suit to avoid the heat from local residents.
Trentino Solar is based in Louisiana. Local boards usually hate it when out-of-state developers come in without a strong local partner. That is probably why this died so quietly.
