Monday, September 27, 2021
As solar projects become more feasible in states like Ky., battle lines are drawn between farmers and preservationists
For the past six years, renewable energy companies have been approaching Kentucky farmers about leasing their land for three solar-power projects in different stages of development. “Solar energy represents a change for a commonwealth whose economic prospects have long been tied to labor-intensive industries like coal and tobacco. But that change is coming, through tax credits, infrastructure deals and climate change incentives,” Melina Walling reports for Louisville’s Courier Journal.
But not everyone is on board with the prospect. “As the projects move forward and more people learn about them, questions tend to arise — questions that the solar companies, which do not have a permanent liaison in this rural area, are not always on hand to answer,” Walling reports.
That often leaves farmers who have signed up for solar leasing to educate and convince their neighbors that such a venture is legitimate—sometimes a difficult job when the projects aren’t yet live and bringing in profits for farmers. But it’s more than a question of whether solar power is viable. Many farmers feel that leasing their land is tantamount to losing it, Walling reports. Others just don’t know enough about the process and say they need more input.
Solar is a winning idea, arguies Jim Waters of free-market think tank Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions. In a Courier Journal op-ed, he writes: “By embracing such plentiful but inexpensive power, Kentucky would have a clean, renewable supply of energy, allowing it to continue – as it’s did with coal – boasting some of the nation’s cheapest energy rates, keeping utility costs low and rendering ineffective calls for economically harmful policies like raising gas taxes for needed revenues.”
However, the notion brings iffy rewards and needs more study, writes Will Mayer, the executive director of Clark Coalition, a land-use advocacy organization. “While the developers are quick to paint a picture of struggling farmers needing the income (that supposedly only solar can provide) the truth is somewhat more complex. In fact, many of those under-contract for solar development are absentee landowners, not farmers. By contrast, many of the farmers who actually make their living from the land will invariably suffer from the loss of their farm leases,” Mayer writes in an op-ed for the Lexington Herald-Leader. “The uneven consequences of large solar facilities are further brought to focus by their impact on adjoining property owners. Contrary to developers’ claims that their facilities do not negatively affect nearby properties, independent valuation studies demonstrate they cause a decline of up to 30%. Industrial solar proposals are neither uniformly bad nor good – rather they are complex and demand a transparent analysis to ensure that they are sited appropriately, and that the associated benefits do not disproportionately accrue to the developers and outside interests while the real financial and environmental costs are borne by Kentuckians.”
Written by Heather Chapman Posted at 9/27/2021 02:00:00 PM
I believe they are holding out for more money could ask the “ASSCLOW” Charley he knows everything
Is this another trick to destroy America? Farm land is just that. Everyone benefits from farms, those that eat and I do think that includes us all. I didn’t see solar help Texas much last winter. They have a lot more land than 10 or 15 Kentucky’s. I would like to throw these liberal “think tanks” in a septic tank. Most have PhD’s and don’t know their asses from a hole in the ground. Eastern Kentucky however has a lot of abandoned strip mines and would make fine places to develop this ‘not ready for prime time’ technology. I do think solar can and will be refined in the future, and will be a great help to the human race, it’s just not ready yet, but these think tanks can’t or wont see that huge fact. Farm land and pasture land is far to important in the right now to clutter it up with these solar panels, that need to be 10,000 times more effective than they are today. There is my opinion.
“ASSCLOWN” Charley Deregulation is what caused the power problem in Texas not solar the state let the fox guard the hen house.
Hey Charles you do remember that American uses that same farmland to grow corn for ethanol. You know ethanol that octane boost for low grade gasoline. I know you know how much energy is wasted in the manufacturing of ethanol to be added to gasoline and isn’t ethanol only hold around 44% of energy compared to pure gasoline? How much Ky farmland is used to grow tobacco and grains and corn to produce bourbon?
Solar panels, electric cars, who cares if they are creating thousands of jobs…we need Trump, Coal, God and Guns. MAGA
Trump Lost In fact he has now lost Arizona 4 times the most in our History
This has been a problem else where already. The solar company can pay much more than the farmer to lease so the farmer loses ground. If they are going to do this it needs to be on more useless ground. Not the land that feeds us. I do caution and would like to point at Europe. They are way ahead of us in going “GREEN” and now they are suffering from unsustainable energy prices. NG has went through the roof there and companies that need it are starting to not be able to afford it anymore. Electric is becoming increasingly unstable and expensive. With just 2 coal plants left in Germany they are increasingly relying on Russia. Even that is not working out for them. Coal was cheap and reliable. Wind and solar just isn’t. There is a place for all energy but the market should dictate it not government regulations. Let’s get the technology better and less expensive then folks can produce their own energy. Then we wouldn’t need large corps or the government.