At the August 24th meeting of the parish council, they attempted to lift the 90 day moratorium they voted into place on July 9th that halted permitting and approvals of permits for solar facilities. This moratorium was a unanimous decision by the council due to the existence of a, battery energy storage system (BESS) included in the plans.
Our activist group asked for the reason the Council considered ending the moratorium. What changed since its adoption? They said the BESS was removed from the application. The council stated they didn't know enough to allow it and our existing ordinance was a strong one. However, it doesn't have the new codes and regulations adopted at state and federal levels. Lifting the moratorium without an updated ordinance is not a prudent act.
Our “Stop the Solar Farm” activist group, with a major assist from one of our members who has actually worked in the power generation industry in many capacities, has updated the existing solar ordinance that was voted into reality 3 years ago. It contains the updated federal and state regulations and codes involving solar power generation facilities that were nonexistent 3 years ago. We are submitting this to the council in hopes that it will be adopted into the existing ordinance that is currently undergoing legal review.
Another interesting fact came up. In their May 18th meeting, they denied a Conditional Use Permit for a cell tower on private land. They cited, issues related to neighborhood impact, proximity to homes and long term “Quality-of-Life” considerations.
Well, many of those same conditions exist in regard to permitting a commercial utility scale solar facility. So, why isn't there a denial to approve a permit for the Bogalusa West project?
Proximity to existing homes and agricultural operations, removing productive agricultural acreage for many years, drainage impacts, visual and environmental compatibility, and, IMHO, the uncertainty surrounding decommissioning obligations. All these factor into the Quality-of-Life reasoning.
Ben M Sarro
Franklinton, LA
