Solar Energy Trends Explained in Auburn

Agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics are a couple of trends in renewable energy, about a dozen area residents were told Thursday night, Jan. 15 at the Auburn Senior Center.
Jeff Ray of Elkhorn covered both areas in a Conservation Nebraska event. He noted agrivoltaics is increasing in Nebraska. It integrates solar energy production and agriculture simultaneously on a single piece of land. Ecovoltaics is a system of solar energy production that fosters ecosystem function. Further information on ecovoltaics will be available Thursday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. also at the Auburn Senior Center.
Ray said characteristics of utility scale solar include: site greater than 20 acres, connected to a regional transmission network, ground mounted with accessory support structures and it may also have battery facilities for energy storage. It also entails controlling visual and environmental aspects and how they work in that area, he continued.
There are multiple steps in the zoning amendment process, Ray related. Those are: updating regulations, community process, assessing existing conditions, creating goals and objectives, developing draft policies, testing policies with scenario planning and recommending amendments to regulations.
General zoning consideration in utility scale solar was explained by the engineer. Those consist of: need for additional electricity, economic development, financial impacts, environmental improvement, change in agricultural production, alteration of view sheds, environmentally sensitive or cultural areas and social identify change.
Ray specializes in environmental planning, focusing on zoning and land development. He is zoning administrator of seven eastern Nebraska municipalities and works for private developers on the side. Ray helps educate others on how do you do zoning, the purpose of zoning, and updating or redoing zoning regulations.
A separate article entails the history of zoning, why it is done and the authority to zone.