Consider the merits of solar farms

Regarding the proposed solar farm in Antioch, the issue is that Illinois needs new energy generation. Our energy portfolio is dominated by over 40-year-old nuclear power plants with Exelon having their finger on the Off/On switch.

Recently they got a few hundred million dollar handout (which is on everyone’s bill called Zero Emission Standard Fee). We get nothing in return. So we need to develop alternatives.

While I would rather see the over 500 homes this solar farm will power put the panels on their own roofs and save the land for another purpose, people are not moving on this fast enough. So solar farms are needed. Also clean solar-generated electricity saves rate payers money because the costs as opposed to nuclear or coal keep coming down and the fuel is free.

Existing solar farms prove this. We can’t live without electricity, we can’t afford bailing out the nukes much longer, so we have to seriously consider any and all alternatives and be smart and responsible in approving them.

Peter Gorr

Deer Park