Chairman Ed Eilert and Johnson County, KS Board of County Commissioners…

Kansans, including Johnson and Douglas County Citizens for Responsible Solar are asking the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners to make a PUBLIC REQUEST for the following BIG INDUSTRY CEOs to step up and play a huge role in supporting RESPONSIBLE SITING for Utility-Scale Solar in Johnson County and Kansas as a whole.

This intial request is being made to the following Industrial BNSF Intermodal/NorthPoint Development Kansas City Logistics Park CEOs:

1. Warren Buffett CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC Railway Company (BNSF)
2. Nathaniel Hagedorn CEO of NorthPoint Development

And All of the Big Industry CEOs with Warehouse Distribution at KC Logistics Park:

3. Andy Jassy CEO of Amazon
4. Doug McMillon CEO of Walmart
5. Carl Wasinger CEO of Smart Warehousing.
6. Carl B. Tomé CEO of UPS
7. Bradley T. Kraft CEO of Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation (DC Edgerton)
8. Thom Smith CEO of ColdPoint Logistics
9. John E. Heller CEO of Pacific Architects & Engineers (PAE)
10. Michael Kaplan CEO of Performance Team
11. John Pearson CEO of DHL Worldwide Express
12. Aaron Crabill Operations Manager Spectrum Brands, Inc.
13. Shingo Hanada CEO of Kubota North America
14. Terrence G. Gohl CEO of Horizon Global
15. Andy Callahan CEO of Hostess
16. Demi Loyd CEO of DEMDACO
17. Jerald K. Dittmer CEO of Flexsteel Industries

These large corporations/industry players are often the biggest reason more energy is needed, and they have also made it clear that they support green energy, they are eager advocates and are investing in green energy. We request that county officials ask these companies to commit to helping the county, they call home to logistics and distribution, with responsible siting efforts for Industrial Utility-Scale Solar.

The request would mean having these companies/CEOs publicly commit to:

1. Working creatively, openly and fairly with counties and energy companies to maximize warehouse rooftops, brownfield and unused/undeveloped surfaces/ground in their already industrial project zones.
2. Being creative thinkers with, for example, developing large scale parking lot solar canopies and using every inch of available fringe/buffer and “scrap” ground.
3. NOT viewing these projects as another way for them to make even more money as lessors or partners but to instead be the green energy supporters and good stewards of the earth they say they are. Not expect huge profits from leasing surfaces and/or cooperating and collaborating with Utility-Scale Solar companies. They should expect the same per acre lease payment as landowners, or less, since these companies/developments are already receiving many incentives.

Additionally, since the Industrial BNSF Intermodal/NorthPoint Development Kansas City Logistics Park has damaged the quality of life and property values of the homesteads and farmers sandwiched in between and abutting warehouses, it would be a very ingenious and responsible idea to approach those landowners and give them the opportunity to also lease their ground to Utility-Scale Solar.

This would give them the option of not being forced to sell low to NorthPoint just to get out of the pickle of living surrounded by an industrial fortress. Rather, it would give these hard-working, long-time Johnson County residents the ability to hold on to the ownership of their property, make lucrative revenue as a Utility-Scale Solar Lessor and have the option and financial ability to escape the industrial landscape, relocate and live elsewhere if they desire.

THE BEST PART of this RESPONSIBLE Utility-Scale Solar Project Siting:

1. Its about as close as you can get to the Evergy PowerStation (see arrow in map screenshot below) which equates to shorter and most likely also fewer transmission lines (less expense for energy companies and much, much healthier for the public/less EMFs).
2. It is perfectly located right next to Johnson County’s Fire District #1 Station (see arrow in map screenshot below). A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) could be strategically located directly across from the Fire Station making the Industrial Utility-Scale Solar Site incredibly RESPONSIBLE. This is just a no-brainer, it’s a win-win-win for so many reasons, including integrating electric car charging stations into the solar parking lot canopies for warehouse workers’ vehicles, and recharging of fleet vehicles and tractor trailers.
3. It is sited in an already industrially zoned area, it is not taking up productive agriculture and livestock land, it will not further disrupt future city expansion or devalue even more homes.
4. As Nathaiel Hagedorn’s additional NorthPoint warehouses go up, additional rooftop Utility-Scale Solar can be added. There are even more rooftops that can currently be added for example the 3 additional warehoused on 207 th street (Kubota), these are not included in the initial concept map.

It must be the Johnson County Board of Commissioners job to be RESPONSIBLE and find thoughtful, ingenious ways to incorporate Utility-Scale Solar on already existing surfaces, industrially zoned areas and brownfield sites. There are also still 3,000 acres still available on the Sunflower Ammunitions Brownfield Site, perhaps a waiver here would be wise to allow Savion + another Industrial Utility-Scale Solar Power Facility developer to use ALL of that brownfield land.

Do not allow Utility-Scale Solar Projects to be “easy”, “cheap” and “fast” at the “expense” of the county’s long-term growth and the wellbeing of its citizens.

VIEW Industrial BNSF Intermodal/NorthPoint Development Kansas City Logistics Park Utility-Scale Solar Facility CONCEPT MAP:

https://bit.ly/joco-responsible-utility-scale-solar-site

Approximate Total Acres of Surface Area for Utility-Scale Solar in this Initial Concept Map: 1,041.93 Acres

1. Approximately 324.59 Acres Rooftop + Covered Parking Lots
2. Approximately 285.84 Acres Ground Use (land surrounding warehouses, owned by developers)
3. Approximately 431.50 Approach Homesteads/Farmers with Ground Lease Opportunity These family farms and quality of life have already been impacted by the Industrial BNSF Intermodal/NorthPoint Development Kansas City Logistics Park. Most likely they would welcome, at this point, being paid a lucrative ground lease for their properties. Ground lease revenue would give them the ability to relocate to a new home and still keep their land investments that they worked so hard to own.

This example of RESPONSIBLE Siting utilizes:

1. Tops of warehouses
https://www.aiche.org/chenected/2016/02/prologis-makes-mint-selling-utility-scale-solar-power-without-investing-dime

2. Large scale solar parking canopies (with integrated electric vehicle charging stations)
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2019/04/15/france-opens-biggest-solar-carport/

3. Maximizing fringe/buffer and “scrap” ground

4. Utility-Scale Ground Lease opportunities for Homesteads/Farmers who are already surrounded by the Industrial BNSF Intermodal/NorthPoint Development Kansas City Logistics Park

5. Land that is for sale. Perhaps these land owners would also be interested in becoming Utility-Scale Solar Lessors vs. selling outright https://www.homes.com/property/33095-w-183rd-st-gardner-ks-66030/id-1000238012333/

There is a TON of ideal, flat property for sale along the North side of 56 Highway directly across from the Industrial BNSF Intermodal/NorthPoint Development Kansas City Logistics Park.

WHAT YOU CAN DO to Make Sure Industrial Utility-Scale Solar Power Facilities are Responsibly Sited in Both Johnson and Douglas Counties in Kansas…

STEP TWO: 

Each of the individual letters to each Commissioner, in both counties, is on a separate page. You can simply type your message into each letter asking each Commissioner to ensure Industrial Utility-Scale Solar Power Facilities are RESPONSIBLY SITED in our counties!

You can then print all of your letters at once, sign each, place in envelopes, address to each Commissioner, stamp with a First Class Stamp and send!

NOTE:  The name and mailing address for each Commissioner is in the top left of each letter. We’ve also include all Commissioner Names and Contact information below.

Thanks for contributing to the letter writing! Be sure to use first class postage when you mail your letters out so the letters get to the Commissioners as quickly as possible.

FEEL LIKE CALLING TOO?  Click on the Buttons Below to Access Johnson County & Douglas County, KS Commissioner Contact Information