Old golf course land eyed for two solar farms




This image from Ford County’s GIS website shows the parcel involved in the proposed Goldenrod solar projects on old Railside Golf Course land just outside Gibson City’s northern corporate limits. Photos courtesy

This image from Ford County’s GIS website shows the parcel involved in the proposed Goldenrod solar projects on old Railside Golf Course land just outside Gibson City’s northern corporate limits. Photos courtesy

GIBSON CITY — The Ford County Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, to consider comments and make a recommendation regarding the requested issuance of a conditional-use permit for two co-located commercial solar projects — Goldenrod East LLC and Goldenrod West LLC — to be located just outside Gibson City on land that was once part of Railside Golf Course.

A public notice published in the Ford County Chronicle listed the applicants for the special-use permit as Ansar Garfur, head of business development for JAS Power LLC, and Doug Brucker, property owner, and said the involved land at 699-561 N. 500 East just north of Gibson City is currently zoned for agricultural use.

The hearing will be at the county courthouse, 200 W. State St., Paxton, where testimony and evidence will be accepted with witnesses cross-examined. Written testimony can be directed to the zoning office in advance of the hearing, as well.

The petition for the permit and related documents may be reviewed at the courthouse, according to the notice. However, Ford County Zoning Officer Brandon Magers was out of the state and not immediately available to provide those files when asked last week.

During Monday night’s Ford County Board meeting, board member Cindy Ihrke of rural Roberts said the two solar farms combined are much smaller than the county’s first — Earthrise Energy 135-megawatt project being built 1 1/2 miles northwest of Gibson City in Drummer Township. Ihrke said she believes each of the proposed smaller projects is only about 2.5 megawatts. Ihrke said special-use permit approval would be required by the county board following a review of the ZBA’s findings of fact and recommendations resulting from the hearing.

According to the website of Greenvolt Power — power. greenvolt.com — JAS Power is a subsidiary of Greenvolt LLC and provides “a variety of technologies, including solar photovoltaics and battery energy storage systems.”

“We specialize in solar development projects with a unique focus on, wherever possible, continued agricultural production,” the site said. “From conducting thorough site surveys to collaborating with governing authorities, we ensure that our solar farms comply with all necessary permits and regulations while minimizing ecological impact. … Prioritizing sustainability and responsible land use practices, we strive to create solar projects that not only generate green energy but also preserve and protect the habitats and natural resources in the areas where we operate.”

The website said Gafur focuses on project siting, permitting, interconnection and procurement.

“Over the last 20 years, Mr. Gafur has developed more than 1,300 (megawatts) of solar and wind generation capacity across Canada and the U.S. and concluded several billion dollars of M&A transactions,” the site said. “Mr. Gafur was co-founder of AIM PowerGen Corporation, now part of Engie North America, and took AIM PowerGen from startup to multi-billion-dollar power producer.”