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4 163 Javier Gorbe: No, the connection has fuses and protection equipment like you can have in your house. But, it’s not 164 extensive. 165 166 Michael Harvey: Paul, let me just add that we asked a similar question that Duke indicated to us that they would not 167 have to alter their existing utility lines in the area to accommodate this project. It would be a higher gauge utility line 168 but it would be just a utility line like you see a regular power line. 169 170 Lydia Wegman: I have a couple of questions. Have any of the neighbors or nearby residences expressed concern 171 about this? 172 173 Javier Gorbe: We had a community meeting last week and what they were wanting to know was the noise level, 174 and I think we addressed that. We had another call from somebody that didn’t want to give a name, and it was the 175 question so we talked and addressed that. 176 177 Patrick Mallett: In addition to material Rachel and Molly spent a lot effort putting together a neighborhood 178 informational meeting. It’s 4 pages sort of outlining the general discussion. I would say the vast majority of the 179 discussion was, “ Can I see it? Can I hear it?”. The general principle, once you go 150 feet away and the distance 180 here is over 500 feet, roughly. The residences are thousands of feet away. The closest residence here called and 181 asked. Once I walked the gentleman through the mechanics and understanding that it’s on the other side of the 182 pond, I think he was satisfied with concerns about noise and sight. There was another residence over in this 183 general area here that had some questions about some earthwork that was being done over here; I explained that it 184 had nothing to do with the request from the solar facility. They all seemed to be satisfied. And these Minutes will be 185 entered into the record at the public hearing, along with all the application materials. 186 187 Lydia Wegman: And Javier, you mentioned that a site-specific assessment was going to be done, appraisal. Was 188 that the Kirkland one? 189 190 Javier Gorbe: Yes, that’s already done. 191 192 Lydia Wegman: And can you just explain to me again, what your North Carolina experience is. Are you actually 193 running solar arrays now in this state? 194 195 Javier Gorbe: Yes, so, ESA came here in 2010 and we are a U.S. company. We just met a farmer that wanted to do 196 solar in North Carolina and we established doing solar in North Carolina in 2010, there were no companies doing 197 solar at the time. Since then we have build around 10 sites in North Carolina, and have been operating for many 198 years. Now, we have around 35 sites that we are developing that haven’t been built yet. 199 200 Lydia Wegman: And you work with ESA? Is that an independent company or is that owned by another company? 201 202 Javier Gorbe: Yes, ma’am. And it’s an independent private company. It’s independent but the stakeholders are 203 Spanish and American. 204 205 Craig Benedict: My understanding, there’s an ESA USA and an ESA Spain. 206 207 Lydia Wegman: Is ESA USA a subsidiary of ESA Spain. Is ESA Spain the stakeholder who own ESA USA? 208 209 Javier Gorbe: ESA Renewables is owned by ESA USA, it’s an American company. And ESA Spain, I, and another 210 stakeholder own that company. 211 212 Tony Blake: I have one more question, this is a lease arrangement and it’s a 15-year lease on this land, and is 213 there an automatic renewal? 214 215 Javier Gorbe: Correct… It’s not automatic; it’s a 5-year renewal after that. 216 8