Some Residents Push Back on Solar Farms in Trenton
Public Meeting Tonight in Trenton Focuses On Potential Land Use Changes
TRENTON—The future of how and where solar farms could be placed in Trenton is currently up to its voters, who will have a chance to approve or reject changes to the town’s land use ordinance at the May town meeting.
The changes would allow the development of utilities such as solar farms in the town’s residential districts.
There are three solar farms in process already under the town’s existing ordinance. The combined land use is approximately 60 acres. The revisions in the proposed ordinance would allow solar farms to comprise up to 30 acre lots in residential districts. There is no current maximum acres allowed.
It’s a possibility that some residents are working against.
Residents against the current ordinance changes have formed a citizen’s group called Neighbors Against More Large Scale Solar Development. One member, Christina Heiniger, sent in commentary to the Ellsworth American last week, expressing her worries about the project.
“In its revision of our current solar land use ordinance, Trenton’s Planning Board is proposing changes to the definitions of both the Residential Rural and Residential Growth zones of our town to allow solar farms of up to 30 acres in those zones. This changes the nature and character of those zones away from residential zones to zones that allow large scale commercial enterprises,” Heiniger wrote.
“Inclusion of commercial large-scale solar farms in residential districts is contrary to the current language in Article III of the Land Use Ordinance,” she wrote. “They do not belong there, as they are not in keeping with residential neighborhoods. In general, residents of these residential zones bought their homes and properties under the premise that these zones were to be in keeping with traditional rural and residential neighborhoods. The proposed rewording of Article III could or would dramatically change this.”
Tonight, Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. proponents and opponents of the town’s potential solar ordinance have an opportunity to make public comment about the town’s draft so far.
The town is currently in the middle of a moratorium on the commercial development of solar. The ordinance changes would be voted on in May. The moratorium came at the request of residents this fall.
The moratorium also came after a developer proposed creating a 70-megawatt solar farm near the town’s industrial park. Approximately 300 acres of land would have been cleared. The Ellsworth American reported that the Maryland-based company also discussed a potential tax increment financing (TIF) agreement for the project. TIFs enable a town or city to keep property tax revenue outside the state’s revenue sharing formula used for state’s education funding. The town can then use that money for credit enhancements with the property owner instead. It’s a kind of tax break meant to incentivize development.
It’s not the first moratorium Trenton has had as it’s tried to regulate solar energy projects. An earlier moratorium occurred in 2020. That moratorium allowed the town to create regulations that define projects as small, medium, or large.
If the ordinance passes as is the changes could impact half of the land area in Trenton. Those areas are the light green and turquoise in the map below.
Trenton is also not the only town facing “push back” against solar projects, which began sprouting up after being incentivized by 2019 Maine law, LD 1711. The law is meant to help the state meet a clean and renewable energy goal of 80% by 2030.
Since 2020, multiple Maine towns and cities (including Ellsworth) have had moratoriums on commercial solar energy projects.
In a December 2023, Bangor Daily News article, Lori Valigra writes,
“Maine has 7,317 solar installations with a total of 948 megawatts of power, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. By 2030, the U.S. could begin piling up millions of metric tons of waste from decommissioned solar models, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
“Other Maine towns have acted similarly. Glenburn in 2022 voted to ban solar arrays larger than 15,000 square feet. Corinth issued a temporary ban in March on commercial solar developments that gave it 180 days to draft rules and regulations for future commercial projects. In August 2023 Brewer city councilors unanimously approved a similar moratorium to give them time to review and revise local rules for solar developments. Troy in early December became the latest Maine town to enact an ordinance regulating large-scale solar and wind energy projects, prompted by the proposed LS Power, Long Road and King Pine transmission and wind megaproject in southern Aroostook County.”
Trenton’s Planning Board has been working on Article VIII of the Land Use Ordinance (LUO).
“My point of view on this topic has become simple,” Heiniger wrote. “I am in favor of small scale residential solar projects. I do not favor any further large commercial solar development in Trenton. We could possibly revisit this in five or more years as we get more data about the effects of solar farms on our environment, how the decommissioning process is actually playing out with already existing commercial solar sites, as state policies change and as solar technology improves. We already have three quite large solar farms permitted and being put in here in Trenton totaling at least 60 acres, and I feel we have done our part as a town to meet the climate goals of the State of Maine with regards to solar development. I will, however, never be in favor of cutting large tracts of trees in Trenton’s residential zones to place medium or large scale solar projects, as I do not see this as a best practice regarding climate change or siting of solar farms. It is also devastating to wildlife habitat, has serious potential for pollution of our land and storm water runoff damage and is a short sighted use of our limited land resources in Trenton.”
In its talking points, Neighbors Against More Large Scale Solar Development, write:
“As the proposed revised ordinances currently stand, we would suggest a No vote on them for these following reasons:
1. Commercial large-scale solar farms should not be located in residential growth and residential rural districts. It would not be in keeping with the original purpose in Article III for these districts to encourage residential growth that is compatible with traditional residential neighborhoods.
2. Deforestation: Trenton is largely forested. Forests play an important role in mitigating climate change by storing and sequestering carbon. Many environmental groups, including the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry recommend siting renewable energy sources in such a way that does not negatively impact the environment. This includes avoiding forests and prime agricultural land for solar sites. Trenton has a history of hunting and recreation in our forested areas. Eliminating these areas changes the way of life in our town for us and future generations.
3. Habitat Displacement: Trenton is surrounded by water on 3 sides. Large clear cuts for solar farms create havoc for wildlife, which become displaced as a result. Many Trenton residents have reported problems with bears this past year, coincidentally after 3 large areas were clear cut for solar farm construction. All kinds of wildlife may be displaced onto our roadways and backyards if we allow more clear cutting for solar farms in our town. With Trenton being nearly surrounded by water, it is also a greater concern with increased stormwater run-off into surrounding waterways. Furthermore, required fencing around solar farms impedes wildlife from traveling freely or using the area around the installation as habitat.
4. Reclamation after abandonment: The lifespan of solar farms is generally 25-30 years. Decommissioning is potentially messy, with difficulty reclaiming the forest.
5. Large-scale solar farms are largely owned by out of State corporate entities which may not have the local interests of the townspeople at heart. Solar generated electricity goes back into the New England grid and will not necessarily bring a reduction in your electric bill.
6. A 30-acre solar farm is equivalent to the size of 22.7 football fields. We are against putting solar farms of 3-30 acres in residential neighborhoods. They do not belong there. The planning board's proposed changes in Articles III and VIII of the Land Use Ordinance would allow this.
7. The purpose of a new solar ordinance is to proceed in such a way that protects Trenton's character, environment, and property values. The goal is to strike a balance between developing acceptable sites for solar energy systems while protecting Trenton's forests, ecosystems, and shorelands. They do not belong in residential districts.”
There is a public hearing on March 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Trenton town office to review and discuss the Planning Board’s changes in the Land Use Ordinance for solar energy systems. That meeting will not be televised nor have a participatory link.
Neighbors Against More Large-Scale Solar Farms consists of Greg Askins, Maria Gott, Paula Damon, Joanna Dotts, Amy Kurman, Chantal Longo-Guess, Scott Parady, Christina Heiniger, Debbie Staples, Bruce Staples, Lisa Taylor, Mike Updegraff, Megan Updegraff and others who prefer to remain anonymous.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The potential changes in draft form are below. The changes are highlighted in yellow within both documents.
