The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) led an informational meeting in September between representatives for the newly proposed Goldfinch Solar project and the citizens of Washington County. The project will occupy over 2,000 acres of land in Washington County that 15 landowners provided in the county. The groups making up the project team for the Goldfinch Solar project are Bechtel Corporation, Conifer Power Company, and Stantec Environmental Consultants. The projected total cost of the project is around $250 million, and the project will not be started until a power purchase agreement has been finalized.

During the meeting, concerned citizens were allowed to ask questions to the representatives of the involved companies. Some concerns were raised about the solar panels themselves, relating to their construction materials, longevity, and recyclability.

Eric Bergstrom, the Director of Conifer Power, spoke with KCII after the meeting and discussed whether or not the project would need to expand its land use over time to maintain efficiency. “I would expect the project to remain consistent over time when it comes to its sizing. After the project has gone through its useful life of 30-40 years, it’s possible that you would look to change the technology on it or put on a more efficient panel. For the vast majority of the life of the project, you would expect it to remain constant as it was installed from day one.”

Contact the Iowa Utilities Board for information about how to file a question or concern about the proposed Goldfinch Solar project in Washington.