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Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered.
by Aby Molina
AMARILLO, Texas. (KVII)—Residents gathered at Pleasant Valley Methodist Church to express their concerns about Xcel Energy's proposed 1,400-acre solar farm near West Cherry Avenue, north of Amarillo.
Homeowners raised issues such as potential property value loss, environmental impact, and insufficient communication from Xcel.
Ronnie Kennedy, a homeowner, criticized the information provided by Xcel, stating, "The information they did send out was incorrect. The map was skewed. You really couldn't tell where the solar farm was going to be. I think they were really trying to slip one by the people of the community, and, they did a very poor job."
Adrian Rodriguez, president of Xcel Energy Texas and New Mexico, acknowledged the feedback, saying, "Totally understand that we were not able to give answers that they wanted to hear tonight. But we will take the feedback seriously. We are taking that back as we go through this process."
Residents also requested that the solar farm be relocated, with Kennedy noting, "This solar farm is only 823 feet away from Rolling Hills Elementary. We can't have that that close to homes and schools."
Rodriguez assured the community that Xcel is in the early stages of the project and is open to further discussions. "If the community wants to have more conversations about this project, has more questions, and will have more community meetings. We're going to also provide information that we need to be requested," he said. Information will be available on the Xcel Energy website, and residents can participate in proceedings with the Public Utilities Commission.
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