SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A solar-powered energy station in Carbondale is on hold while the developer waits on potential state help. Pete Pedersen is managing principal for Brightfields Development. He tells the (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan that construction of the field won’t draw necessary investment capital until lawmakers decide on a package of incentives for “clean energy” wending through the Legislature. Pedersen expects no action for the next several months. The city council approved the plan in March for building the solar field on the former Kopper’s Wood Treatment Plant site. The special-use permit has a three-year expiration. The company must provide the city with a power-generation fee that could yield $500,000 annually. But Pedersen and Mayor Mike Henry say there has been no formal agreement on the fee.

Leave a Reply