After several years of debate, a company has finally been given the go-ahead to build a solar farm in the eastern Ontario town of Hawkesbury.

Two years ago, Solaris Energy Partners announced its plan to install a solar farm in Hawkesbury — around 100 kilometres east of Ottawa — but the municipality said that it wouldn't support the project.

Officials from the town said there was a concern about stray voltage and that a solar farm wouldn't be the best use of prime agricultural land.

Solaris and the provincial government worked for months to come up with a project that the community would accept.

Late last week, an Ontario Municipal Board adjudicator told the company that they'd finally come up with a proposal the town would accept.

Greg Pruner, president and chief executive officer of Solaris Energy Partners, said the Ontario government should be doing more to educate communities about alternative energy.

"This is a new industry for everybody, including the government," said Pruner.

"Understanding the impact of solar farms on land use and, more importantly, to the renewable energy mix is quite key."

In order to get the project approved, Solaris reduced the size of the solar farm and has said that it will landscape the area to conceal the solar panels.

The project will employ 100 short-term workers for construction and 10 full-time workers to operate the farm.

Hawkesbury's solar farm is expected to produce enough electricity to power 5,400 homes.