The project from Chicago solar energy construction company Invenergy, called the Chisholm Trail Solar Energy Center, is on hold as the county works on zoning and planning regulations for solar projects of a large scale. Maize, in fact, is not a stranger to solar projects. In 2019, propelled by the work of Maize High chemistry and physics teacher Stan Bergkamp and the Maize Solar Initiative, the city had a 720-panel solar project that went live outside of the Maize Career Academy. Bergkamp, who is also a landowner and farmer with solar panels in his shop in Kechi, was influential in generating $300,000 for solar development at Maize High. Bergkamp told the WBJ that comparing the Chisholm Trail project and the scale of its development to the solar project at his school is like “comparing apples to oranges.” He said that the major concern has been the scale of the project and the public anxiety about the effect on local development. However, he sees an alternative solution to the power problem in Maize — staying within regulations by utilizing parking lots and roofs that are available in the city. He feels that the focus of the county should be to find a balance for local and county-level growth.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
