A proposal for two solar farms in Lethbridge County has been met with opposition from some Alberta landowners.
Farmer Robert Luco says there’s been hardly any consultation surrounding the project and he is hoping for more clarity on a few key points about the potential sites.
“What are the rules and regulations related to removal of the solar panels once the project reaches its end life? 14,058 acres of solar panels — what’s going to happen to them and how are they going to be disposed of?” he asked.
The two solar farm proposals are being brought forward by Nu-E Corp and Low Carbon Canada. An open house was held on Monday night at the McNally Community Centre, during which residents voiced their concerns.
Global News reached out to Lethbridge County for comment, and it said a solar project like this would require an application to the county for rezoning.
In a statement, the county added that if rezoning was approved, a development permit would also be required in order to move forward.
The two potential sites are approximately two kilometres southwest of the Lethbridge Airport at Township Road 80 and Range Road 215 on private land.
According to numbers from Nu-E Corp, roughly 100 short-term jobs will be created for each solar farm, with approximately 90 per cent of the jobs being sourced locally.
Global News also reached out to Nu-E Corp for comment on the economic impact of the proposed projects.
“The projects will generate clean and affordable electricity, prioritize the use of local and Indigenous labor for construction and provide an ongoing and significant tax revenue for the county,” the company said in a statement.
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