This is a solar project that has been submitted to the county for approval on a 199-megawatt utility scale solar system and a 100-megawatt battery energy storage system site. They want to build this project on beautiful prairie land taking away 2,010.00 acres with fencing off 1,011.00 acres. Inside this project will be 398,000.00 solar panels,, with racking system, invertors, charging controls, battery storage, a substation, an interconnect transmission line that will take away not only the beauty of this landscape but destroy the ecosystem.   

I am also a resident of central Natrona County, close to the proposed site for the new solar panel facility stretching over 2,000 acres.  This land lies 24 miles northeast of Casper and 4 mile south of US Highway 26, holding not just us, but an incredible diversity of wildlife within Elk, Deer, Antelope find their homes here. This spot is a sanctuary for foxes, badgers, jack rabbits, coyotes and wolves.  It is not just ground-dwelling creatures that seek refuge here but also are winged friends-small birds, eagles, hawks and owls.  The project in its current form threatens to uproot these species, severing their access to water sources and gazing land.

This solar panel farm of 398,000.00 panels put my community at great risk.  We have only one way in and one way out.   

 Recreation and Public Use:  The proposed solar farm would alter wildlife patterns. This also border to state and BLM land.

Water and Environmental Concerns:   Water resources that feed into the Casper Creek and Golden Eye Reservoir into North Platte River raises serious doubts. Furthermore, the disruption to local wildlife habitats and the threat to recreational activities, tarnish the very essence of our community.  The project of construction and killing vegetation in this area could severely impact water quality and disrupt the natural ecosystem, affecting both humans and wildlife.

Property Value Impact: Research demonstrates that the establishment of solar panels farms leads to a substantial decrease of properties within its vicinity. Our homes, our investments, and our community spaces could face irreversible harm, impacting generations to come.

Road Infrastructure and Safety: The heavy machinery and increased traffic associated with solar panel construction will undoubtedly strain our local roads.  This will lead to increased safety risks for commuters and children waiting at the local school bus stops resulting in major infrastructure repairs and upgrades. This burden not only threatens public safety, particularly during winter conditions but also imposes significant maintenance costs that our community cannot bear alone. 
Legal and Regulatory Oversights: We question the legitimacy of classifying this project as a Clean Energy project and the apparent lack of required notifications to local landowners. Such oversights undermine the trust between the community and regulatory bodies.
 

Financial Imbalance:   Wyoming's commitment to the "greater good" and serves  need to prioritize the well-being of our citizens over profit margins.
 We need our city, county, and state government to prioritize the preservation of our community's health, safety, and environmental integrity in the decision-making process.

We, the undersigned, stand united in our opposition to permitting a solar panel facility operations within the confines of Central Natrona, in our community of Natrona area and the surrounding region.  It also poses significant risks to our health, environment, and economic stability.