By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – A solar energy farm producing enough electricity to power hundreds of homes will be built southwest of Bloomington, assuming it receives McLean County government approval.

Breezewood Solar is affiliated with Cypress Creek Renewables, which received government backing in February to build the county’s first solar farms, one of them in Downs Township and two more in Arrowsmith Township.

The solar arrays would be placed on 25 acres of Lorraine Stevens’ property at 3022 Robert St., just south of Margaret Street and west of South Main Street.

County Board Vice Chairman Jim Soeldner, a Republican from Ellsworth, said he’ll likely vote for the project, but he told WJBC’s Sam Wood one of his pet peeves is that electricity produced there would not stay in the area.

“One of the arguments has always been why can’t we keep that power here? I guess when it comes down to it, we don’t really know where that goes,” said Soeldner.

“It may go anywhere. In theory, it’s headed to where the biggest demand is, and that’s in the Chicago area and St. Louis.”

Soeldner said the solar farm would generate enough electricity for 300 to 400 homes, or about the same amount of energy produced by two wind turbines.

The project is expected to be reviewed next month by the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals before it goes to the County Board.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]