Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
would like to see us be less dependent on fossil fuel and more dependent on sustainable <br /> renewable energy. This is a project that will produce electricity and be able to support about <br /> 750 homes. My colleagues will explain a little bit more about the exact benefits that are derived <br /> from this. I just want to point out that it will be a tremendous investment in the County and will <br /> provide very little pressure or new addition to the County services. In other words, there won't <br /> be any new school children, there won't be any new school buses, there's no new traffic, there's <br /> no water needs, there's no sewer needs, there's no additional refuse removal, there's no need <br /> for any emergency services. It provides a nice investment in the County with virtually no impact <br /> on any County services. So I'd like to point that out as being not only an advancing our <br /> environmental goals but also just being a nice positive addition to our County. <br /> This application we believe meets all of the requirements of Section 2.7 of the UDO. We <br /> therefore ask for your support. We further note the objective, the specific objectives in the <br /> County Comprehensive Plan regarding sustainable energy and reduction of carbon footprint. <br /> We believe that this project will take some giant steps in those directions. I'll stop there and <br /> answer any questions. <br /> Chair Pelissier: Yes, could you tell us a little bit more about the power line that would be <br /> installed there and where are the other power lines that it's going to hook up to? <br /> Phillip Post: Let me start with the power lines that it will hook up to. As you know, White Cross <br /> Road municipal Duke Power lines are on the west side right here, along the edge of the right-of- <br /> way. So that's the existing power line, the Duke Power line that's been there for many years. <br /> The collection line that will be much, much smaller and it will be tied into these five west points <br /> here that I've pointed out to you, will be underground wires that run to an overhead line that will <br /> be right on our fence line. So it will not be in the green area, but it will be right along this area <br /> here and it will tie into a Duke Power pole right there. So, it's inside the 75-foot type E buffer, <br /> and it's inside our fence. It will be basically what we call single-phase lines where it will just <br /> have two wires on a short pole. It will be fed by underground lines and feed into the Duke <br /> Power line. <br /> Commissioner Gordon: I just want to have you explain again about the trees along the road <br /> that you're saying you cannot see. <br /> Phillip Post: The 75-foot type E buffer will be composed of the existing vegetation. The only <br /> penetration will be just our one single driveway right here. Otherwise, there will be no <br /> disturbance of the 75-foot buffer. We believe that the buffer, which is composed of large trees, <br /> we believe that the spacing of the vegetation will keep the arrays unseeable. It's much shorter <br /> than even the shortest amount of vegetation. <br /> Mark Marcoplos: Speaking about the issue of the view, it sounds like it is considered <br /> undesirable to see. <br /> Phillip Post: I haven't considered that. It's happens at our houses and our businesses and <br /> they're pretty innocuous. These are low to the ground, seven feet high at the most, so they're <br /> not gigantic things. They absorb the sunlight, so they don't reflect anything. Being very <br /> innocuous, they don't create any noise or any humming. They are only working when the sun is <br /> shining, and of course when the sun is down, there is absolutely nothing going on there. <br /> Mark Marcoplos: It seems like there might even be some benefits for being able to see it a <br /> little bit, for public education. <br />