Stephens BOE Rejects Solar Panel Plan

By Charlie Bauder, WNEG Radio, Toccoa

The Stephens County Board of Education votes down a proposed solar panel project.

At its meeting last month, the school board 4 to 3 to not allow the installation of solar panels on the roof at Stephens County High School.

Board of Education members Jim Ledford, Tony Crunkleton, David Fricks, and Steve Tilley voted to not allow the solar panels, while Jeff Webb, Sandra Childs, and Dr. Elizabeth Pinkerton voted in favor of the project.

The project would have allowed United Renewable Energy of Alpharetta to place solar panels on the roof of the high school and sell the energy created to Georgia Power as part of a solar energy initiative put in place by the power company.

In return, the school system would have received lease payments estimated at about $6,000 to $8,000 a year.

United Renewable Energy already runs a solar panel farm in the county on land on Turner Road owned by the Stephens County Development Authority.

That project went online earlier this year and Georgia Power has approved placing more solar panels on that Turner Road property.