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Public input sought for proposed solar farm

Lead Summary
By
Mavis Fodness

A second public hearing will be conducted Thursday, July 23, for the proposed Elk Creek Solar farm near Magnolia.
Due to the coronavirus, the public hearing will be conducted remotely from 6 to 9 p.m.
The upcoming hearing focuses on whether or not the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission should grant Elk Creek Solar a certificate of need and a conditional use permit to construct an 80-megawatt solar conversion facility on 976 acres in Vienna Township north of Magnolia.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission would like the public to offer input about the following issues:
•Is the proposed project needed and in the public interest?
•What are the human and environmental impacts of the project, and how can these impacts be address in the site permit?
•If the site permit is granted, what additional conditions or requirements should be included in a site permit for the facility?
•Are there other project-related issues or concerns?
Written or email comments will also be accepted. See the legal notification in the July 9 Rock County Star Herald edition for instructions.
Instructions to connect with the hearing via telephone and/or Internet are also included in the public notice.
PUC officials recommend joining the proceedings with the administrative law judge five to ten minutes prior to the hearing’s 6 p.m. start time. While the hearing is scheduled for three hours, the hearing will end when all attendees have had the opportunity to comment.
A public information and environmental scoping meeting was conducted in Luverne in January, results of which recommended no major changes to the project.

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