After reluctantly approving two solar power projects March 18, the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission asked for information on similar projects to help it decide whether to recommend rules to protect farmland.

The commission passed conditional uses for RWE Clean Energy’s project on 69 acres west of the Cliff and Cypress roads intersection, and FFE DE Vines Creek LLC’s project on 25 acres off Vines Creek Road near Dagsboro.

The Clean Energy conditional use passed by a 3-1 vote. Commissioner John Passwaters cast the only vote in opposition, but Commissioners Holly Wingate, G. Scott Collins and Jeff Allen all reluctantly voted in favor.

“I’m not against solar arrays, but I think there are more suitable areas where this can be built, where it’s not a perfectly good farm field,” Passwaters said.

“I have similar concerns about converting productive agricultural lands into solar farms,” Collins said. “I’m thinking that there should be redevelopment opportunities promoted instead of consuming more ag lands or, even worse, cutting forest, which we’ve seen a little bit of in the past.”

The commission voted 4-0 to approve the Vines Creek conditional use, as Wingate, the chair of the commission, was the only one to voice reservations, saying only that she did so reluctantly.

At the end of the meeting, Wingate asked county Planning & Zoning Director Jamie Whitehouse and Assistant County Attorney Vince Robertson to gather information on solar generation projects in the county.

“I would like Mr. Whitehouse to see where we are with the solar farm applications that we’ve had, what’s been approved, what’s under construction, what’s completed,” she said.

“I just feel like we have been inundated with solar farms, and my concern is that we’re putting conditions on these approvals that we’re giving, not knowing if we're making the right decision,” Wingate added.

Whitehouse said he would be glad to do the research, but needs time because the next two meetings will be long to accommodate projects that were rescheduled from March 18. He said he would do research in April and provide information in May.

Whitehouse estimated offhand that there have been about 40 solar projects in the county. 

Wingate said she worries the effects of solar generation projects need more consideration, and rules governing them may need revisions.

“We have seen so many and, honestly, I'm tired of seeing these solar farms without knowing more information of what we’re going to end up with,” she said. “I’m saying I’ll reluctantly vote yes, but I really don’t have any option to vote against it because of the way the ordinance is written.”