Orange County NC Website
25 <br /> 1042 the LIDO pertaining to residential solar arrays. This amendment was reviewed at the April 9, <br /> 1043 2025, ORC meeting. The anticipated BOCC public hearing date is June 3, 2025. <br /> 1044 <br /> 1045 Patrick Mallett: Next item on the agenda, as I said before, Pages 95 and 96 are replaced. That's the abstract and <br /> 1046 107. This is the solar array amendment, in large part it's the standards within LIDO, Section 5.9.6. <br /> 1047 So,we have the need for the amendment. Our amendments of the LIDO have not been amended <br /> 1048 or updated since November 8, 2012. Those parenthetically were amendments to deal with public <br /> 1049 utility, solar arrays, and nothing to do with the actual amendments before you tonight. It's the <br /> 1050 adoption of numerous best practices and technology changes have occurred in the solar industry. <br /> 1051 The Orange County strategic plan identifies the environmental protection and climate action as a <br /> 1052 first priority strategy. We're revising 5.9.6, solar array and Article 10 definitions. What we're not <br /> 1053 revising is the public utility. That would be what used to be referred to as Solar Farms, the large <br /> 1054 public utilities,this is just pertaining to solar arrays, roof-mounted or ground-mounted as an <br /> 1055 accessory use, like powering the dam turbines at the OWASA facility out at Cane Creek or a solar <br /> 1056 array that's mounted on your house roof or on your property or on farms. It addresses overly <br /> 1057 complex text and improves on the interpretation and the application for both staff and the <br /> 1058 applicants. This was sort of brought forth to us in partnership with sustainable developments and <br /> 1059 one of our partners, Solar Smart, and the industry pointed to some needs for some minor <br /> 1060 clarifications. This is by no means as complicated or as extensive as the telecom one. So, on <br /> 1061 future efforts, this too is a continuum to look at fast-tracking the permitting process for some solar <br /> 1062 array permits. The fees,we'll look at revisiting those to give some incentives possibly for <br /> 1063 residential stuff, solar permits, and then also,we're also conducting work with solar, and EV <br /> 1064 located on government facilities. That's strictly EV charging stations and we have a consortium <br /> 1065 with both,with this part of Solar Smart and NC State and numerous other institutions that we're <br /> 1066 working on, and this is just one part of what they would like to see and what we feel like the <br /> 1067 industry wants and residents,of course, as well. These are just a few slides that Amy Eckberg <br /> 1068 was able to provide with regard to the climate action plan. She was not able to attend today's <br /> 1069 meeting because she's in a conference in Richmond. Like I said this is a major element that <br /> 1070 aligns with the climate action plan and Orange County sustainability efforts. With that greenhouse <br /> 1071 and gas emission reduction goals to reduce by 50 percent by 2030 and reduce 100 percent by <br /> 1072 2050. This just shows the distribution and the fair share. This was an interesting slide to me,the <br /> 1073 amount that's dedicated in terms of emissions to electricity, 30 percent. Overall breakdown. All <br /> 1074 energy was responsible for 54 percent of Orange County's greenhouse gas emissions, that was a <br /> 1075 pretty amazing statistic to me. And by adding solar energy,we can cut those emissions. It's in <br /> 1076 the climate action plan as identified. The manner of process they decided to brief at the ORC. <br /> 1077 You heard this item last month in your April meeting where additions were made, based on the <br /> 1078 ORC comments and comments received under courtesy and peer review. The item is recording <br /> 1079 and refined in conjunction with sustainability programs and smart initiatives and then today,as <br /> 1080 with the other one,the replacement items in your packet. Recommendation. Review and discuss <br /> 1081 the LIDO text amendments; consider the planning director's recommendation and make a <br /> 1082 recommendation to the BOCC on the statement of consistency,Attachment 2, and the proposed <br /> 1083 text amendments. <br /> 1084 <br /> 1085 Lamar Proctor: All right. Any questions? <br /> 1086 <br /> 1087 Dolores Bailey: Can you go back about 3 slides. <br /> 1088 <br /> 1089 Patrick Mallett: There? <br /> 1090 <br /> 1091 Kirby Saunders: You said with solar added to it, it would do what? <br /> 1092 <br /> 1093 Patrick Mallett: So that would fall under this energy category here. <br /> 1094 <br /> 1095 Beth Bronson: It would reduce it. <br /> 1096 <br />