HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.1 - Mary Ellen Garrahy - North Chico Solar Project_ Request to Defer Community Benefits Agreement Consideration.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Garrahy Family
To:Teeter, Doug; Connelly, Bill; Durfee, Peter; Ritter, Tami; Kimmelshue, Tod
Cc:Clerk of the Board
Subject:North Chico Solar Project: Request to Defer Community Benefits Agreement Consideration
Date:Tuesday, October 27, 2026 11:15:14 AM
Dear Members of the Butte County Board of Supervisors,
As a resident living directly adjacent to the proposed North Chico Solar Project, I am writing
to express my concerns about considering a Community Benefits Agreement before the
project has undergone a complete and transparent review.
I recognize the importance of renewable energy development and appreciate the Board’s
interest in securing meaningful benefits for Butte County residents. However, I believe that
consideration of a CBA at this stage is premature. Before any endorsement or commitment is
made, the County and the public should have a meaningful opportunity to review the project’s
complete application, environmental impacts, proposed mitigation measures, and alternatives
through the California Energy Commission’s established review process.
For those of us who live immediately adjacent to the proposed site, this is not an abstract land-
use decision. The project could have a lasting impact on our homes, our rural way of life, and
the surrounding natural environment. This extraordinary landscape includes extensive native
blue oak woodland, important wildlife habitat, working grazing lands, and valuable watershed
resources. These resources deserve careful consideration, informed by sound science and a
thorough understanding of the project’s potential consequences.
I respectfully ask the Board to defer any endorsement of or commitment to a proposed
Community Benefits Agreement until the project’s application and environmental implications
have been fully evaluated through the appropriate review process. I also urge the Board to
direct County staff to engage directly with the California Energy Commission to clarify how
Butte County and its residents can meaningfully participate in that process.
Our community deserves transparency, meaningful public participation, and a full
understanding of the potential costs and benefits before decisions are made that could
permanently alter this landscape. A commitment to community benefits should not precede a
comprehensive evaluation of the project itself.
Thank you for your time, your consideration, and your service to the residents of Butte
County.
Sincerely,
Mary Ellen Garrahy
Eagle Nest Drive