Bryan Stewart

Richmond County Daily Journal

The Laurinburg City Council has pushed back the decision to allow Progress Energy and its partners, Birdseye Renewable Energy, MP2 Capital and goSolar to build a 2.3 megawatt solar facility in Scotland County.

The board will take up the issue on Oct. 20.

“Thirty days in the end won’t really affect the project’s completion date,” said Brian Bednar, owner of Birdseye Renewable Energy and the local developer for a proposed solar farm in Scotland County.

The proposed solar farm is a 2.3 megawatt solar photovoltaic array and would be the largest in the state, according to energy officials.

According to Bednar, local residents raised concerns about the effects a solar facility would have.

“It’s a new technology in North Carolina and some people may not have understood it well,” Bednar said. “It’s very hard to find negatives with (solar energy) though.”

Bednar plans to speak with the Laurinburg City Manager and assist with helping the city learn more about solar energy. Additionally, he plans to speak with those in opposition to the plant individually.

According to Bednar, Birdseye Renewable Energy has been contacted by land owners and cities in surrounding counties about potential projects in their area.

“It’s a great thing for the region,” Bednar said.

He said future projects like that of Scotland County’s in the area are still just ideas, but likely to be taken into consideration.

The 2.3 megawatt plant, according to Bednar, is the biggest solar project Progress Energy has taken on to date.

“We remain very, very optimistic about the project,” Bednar said.

Earlier this month Bednar spoke to Laurinburg Rotarians about the project to enlighten them about the positives of solar energy.

If the plan is approved, the plant will be built next year.

At the meeting, Bednar discussed renewable energy throughout North Carolina.

"North Carolina is very dependent for their electricity production on coal. Coal has been the primary means of generating electricity,” Bednar said. “Nuclear has always been a pretty big share within North Carolina relative to the rest of the county.

"To date, 4.6 percent of all electricity is generated by something that would be considered renewable resources. That would be hydro, which is the bulk of it ...which is pretty much old technology.

"In addition to that, you have about 1.5 percent or 1.6 percent that is coming from mostly solar projects that have been built over the last few years. So it is a relatively new area. It's growing nationwide quite quickly, but in the Southeast, North Carolina has been at the forefront of pushing for renewable energy."