It appears a solar project is in the works and the Knox County Zoning Board of Appeals has scheduled a public hearing to consider the approval of conditional use permits filed by Galesburg Solar, LLC.
WGIL obtained copies of a letter – dated March 14th – and packet sent to surrounding property owners regarding the public hearing and Geronimo Energy, the company looking to set up the solar farm.
The hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on April 4th at the Administrative Annex Conference Room, found at 220 East Simmons Street in Galesburg.
According to the packet, The East Galesburg Solar Project will be located on the southern corners of Knox Highway 9 and 7.
The Conditional Use Permitting process for the project is expected to last up to three months – and Geronimo Energy is expecting to receive the permit at some point in mid-2018, with construction to start as soon as spring of 2019.
With an estimated four to eight month construction schedule, the packet indicates that solar project will be operational at some point in 2019.
The project is expected to produce enough energy to power up to 430 homes, and decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 2,900 metric tons annually.
Several details of the project have not been finalized, including the solar array layout, access roads, and electrical connections.
It’s expected that the project will also provide economic benefits to Knox County in the form of increased tax revenue, job creation, and increased local spending during both the construction and on-going operations.
WGIL has reached out to both Geronimo Energy, and Knox County personnel. As more information becomes available, WGIL will report it.
