Tag Archives: Solar

VLCIA Speeches at Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking

I’m in favor of solar plants, and it was good to see the participants helping out at the groundbreaking for the Wiregrass Solar LLC plant at the Valdosta Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant yesterday. But wait! What’s that behind them? Seems like even solar supporters aren’t all in favor of the proposed neighboring biomass plant.

In this post are videos of the speeches by VLCIA personnel; speeches by other dignitaries will follow. Brad Lofton, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), said they’ll have a commissioning reception in a few months (currently scheduled for Wednesday 16th April 2011) to which they’ll invite “the entire City Council and the County Commission.” Interestingly, there was nobody from the County Commission at this groundbreaking ceremony. They’ve said they’re in favor of biomass; are they not in favor of solar? Lofton says they’ll also invite

“…the governor of Georgia who has about half a million dollars invested in this project.”


Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Lofton also said:

“We’ll go around and if anybody has any comments, I’d like you to make them.”
Hm, they never seemed to get around to me.

Brad Lofton explained that the property for the solar plant is owned by the City of Valdosta and leased to VLCIA and then subleased Continue reading →

“Hooray for solar! No biomass!”

The VDT nailed it:
Executives and city officials broke ground together at the site to the mixed cheers from the crowd of protesters: “Hooray for solar! No biomass!”
More perceptive text by David Rodock and pictues by Paul Levy online and in the paper paper.

Videos of the protesters here. Videos of the groundbreaking ceremony (with protesters) to come.

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Protesters, police, and press at Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking

All these protesters were in favor of the groundbreaking today for the Wiregrass Solar LLC plant, but they wanted to object to the related biomass plant proposed for next door. Here you can see Valdosta police saying they’re going have to issue a summons to some protesters because they didn’t have a permit, Valdosta Mayor Fretti saying the permit process is simple, and Dr. Michael Noll president of Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy (WACE) explaining that they only heard of the event recently, and besides he’d be happy to pick up a shovel and help with the groundbreaking for the solar plant:


Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Enter the police chief. Continue reading →

Where is the Wiregrass Solar plant?

Update 21 Feb 2011: Col. Ricketts confirms the groundbreaking is at 11:30 AM today on Water Plant Road; follow the signs from there to the construction site.
The groundbreaking for the Wiregrass Solar plant is Monday 21 February, rumor has it at 11:30AM, but where? My understanding is that the site is at the back of the City of Valdosta’s Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment property, which is

View Larger Map
on Water Plant Road off of GA 94 (New Statenville Highway) east of Inner Perimeter Road.

However, VLCIA’s land proposed for the Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant is around the corner off of Inner Perimeter Road east of Deloach Road: It’s conceivable that VLCIA might hold the ceremony on its own property. See their map below: Continue reading →

Wiregrass Solar LLC –J. Stephen Gupton, VLCIA, 15 Feb 2011

Deploying on a solar plant does require a bit of legal work, and the attorney’s report at the February VLCIA board meeting mostly consisted of talk about completion of lease and sublease agreements with Wiregrass Solar LLC. What’s that, you may wonder, if you’re used to hearing about Wiregrass Power LLC, the shell corporation VLCIA contracted with for the biomass plant. That one still exists, but according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, Wiregrass Solar LLC was registered 19 May 2010. The agent is the same as for the other shell cojmpany: Tammi Cody, 3500 Parkway Lane Suite 500, Norcross GA 30092. The agent county is given as Gwinnett.

Here’s the video:


Regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA,
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director,
Allan Ricketts Program Manager, 15 February 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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Turning on Wiregrass Solar –Col. Ricketts

At the February VLCIA board meeting, Col. Ricketts said groundbreaking for the solar plant is scheduled for February 21st with production less than two months after that.

Here you can see his timeline slide.

It’s a bit hard to read, but he mentioned at least these items:

  • Site preparation starts 16 Feb 2011.
  • Groundbreaking Monday 21st Feb 2011.
  • Commissioning ceremony and turn the switch on Wednesday 16th April 2011.
Apparently deploying a solar plant takes a lot less time than some types of projects. You can watch and listen to his presentation: Continue reading →

Why “jobs, jobs, jobs” isn’t good enough for the public good and the general welfare –John S. Quarterman

Sure, everyone wants jobs for the people right now and jobs so the children don’t have to go somewhere else to find one. But what good is that if those jobs suck up all the water those children need to drink?

This is the problem:

“What I believe the three most important things are, not only for our community, and our state, and our country, but for our country, thats jobs number 1, jobs number 2, and jobs.”


Brad Lofton, Executive Director, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
speaking at the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce annual dinner,
Lake Park, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 January 2011.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

I shook Brad Lofton’s hand after that speech and told him I liked it, because I did: in general it was a positive speech about real accomplishments. I’ve also pointed out I had a few nits with that speech. This one is more than a nit. This one is basic philosophy and policy.

Now one would expect an executive director of an industrial authority to be all about jobs. And that would be OK, if Continue reading →

Brad Lofton’s memory fails him again, and again….

Speaking at the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce 28 January 2011, Industrial Authority Executive Director Brad Lofton remarked about:
The largest solar panel array that we are aware of today in the state of Georgia. That’s 350 kW solar panel array that you’ll be seeing coming out of the ground February first.


Brad Lofton, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
speaking at the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce annual dinner,
Lake Park, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 January 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

That’s funny, because as readers of this blog may recall, on 18 January 2011 I pointed out to Lofton that: Continue reading →

Brad Lofton asks for your ideas

In a generally congenial and well-received speech to the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce (LPCoC), Industrial Authority (VLCIA) executive director Brad Lofton gave an update on various projects and concluded by asking for input. “Economic development is a team sport,” he said, and “Give us ideas” and “There’s one of us and hundreds of you.”

Lofton was introduced by LPCoC chairman Dan Bremer who said that Lofton and VLCIA brought a plant to Lake Park with 400 workers.

In his speech, Lofton lauded the LPCoC as a great incubator of local businesses.

It’s going to come from all of you.
He talked about expanding local industries, especially PCA at length, asking David Carmon of PCA to stand up, saying PCA made a $230 million expansion in 2010, and noting “We had to compete for the PCA project.” Continue reading →

VLCIA on expansion of existing industry

Local industry for local jobs: feedback loops? At the 21 Dec 2010 board meeting, Brad Lofton and the VLCIA board talk about exanding local industry, namely PCA and AlphaProTech. Lofton says AlphaProTech will add 50 new jobs. Hm, 50 is more than 25 slated for the biomass plant. And nobody even has to trade AlphaProTech land for them to produce these jobs!

According to their website, AlphaProTech sells:

“protective apparel, infection control and extended care products in addition to a line of construction weatherization building products for the housing market.”
Hm, so if VLCIA promoted refitting local houses it would also be promoting AlphaProTech.

It’s interesting to hear Gary Minchew say regarding one company:

“we just don’t need to be the front man”


Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Interesting that VLCIA is not willing to be the front man for local industry (as we’ve also seen in this response from Col. Ricketts), when VLCIA clearly is the front man for Sterling Energy and Wiregrass Power LLC, neither of which are from around here.

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