Orange County NC Website
Minutes - Regular Meeting <br /> Solid Waste Advisory Board <br /> June 3 , 2009 <br /> August 6, 2009 <br /> At this point I would like to ask the SWAB if there are any questions or if you all want <br /> to make any statement regarding the project. <br /> Sassaman asks what is the total surface area of the cells . <br /> Pollock replies I ' m not sure but the intent is to generate 500 - 700 kilowatts of <br /> electricity . <br /> They are to give us a technical paper tomorrow . <br /> Sassaman asks how high will the array be above ground . <br /> Pollock states that from photographs of similar arrays is less than 20 ft. <br /> Sassaman asks are there any negative impacts associated with migratory birds . <br /> Pollock states that I don' t know a lot about migratory birds . <br /> Vickers asks are they intending to sell it for carbon credits . <br /> Pollock states that the question of power sales and how this is going to work is <br /> interesting because there are three economic streams associated with the sales of <br /> photovoltaically generated electricity . One is the sale of the electrons that they can <br /> turn around and power light bulbs with it. The second is the nature of federal tax <br /> laws has changed, so that these projects have a lot of tax credits at the federal and <br /> state level associated with them and those are going to be owned under this particular <br /> model by a private developer . The third stream of income from renewable energy <br /> credits because those are required under State law for renewable portfolio standards . <br /> It is a fairly sophisticated financial arrangement. <br /> What I ' d like to ask you all is if you ' d like to convey any kinds of concerns or interest <br /> in the project to the BOCC . The path that we are going to look at is presentation in <br /> front of the BOCC from Economic Development with Solar Tech South and they will <br /> ask for Board approval . <br /> Sassaman states on the surface it sounds good but without specifics it is hard to make <br /> that judgment. There are a lot of environmental issues I would be concerned with one <br /> being the wildlife the other being whether it would have any vista impacts . Are there <br /> any downsides ? <br /> Norwood asks Blair there is some gadget that was put up that studies oxygen and <br /> carbon dioxide, would this thing interfere with that study . <br /> 17 <br />