JACKSON COUNTY (KSNT) – For one local county, election eve may be just as interesting as the main event.

In Jackson County, the future of renewable energy could soon be decided.

County commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday at 3 p.m. in the Jackson County Courthouse to discuss a possible solar and wind farm moratorium. The primary focus won’t be on the positives or negatives that come from those forms of renewable energy. Instead they’ll look at what the moratorium itself could look like for the area.

The option of building solar and wind farms was only recently brought up for consideration. Commissioners say there is still much to learn.

“We’re going to do a lot of fact finding,” Jackson County Commissioner Dan Brenner said. “I personally have reached out to Kansas State University, their engineering department we have just started talking. What are the benefits, what are the detriments of that as well. We’ll see, we have a lot to learn, and a lot to research.” 

The discussions over renewable energy are taking place across the country, with President Biden just two weeks ago pushing lawmakers to speed up clean energy projects around the nation.

With passionate people on both sides of the topic, commissioners expect a packed house for the hearing.