My town passed well-researched legislation this week that makes it harder for far-away solar developers to come in and snatch up our arable farmland. Other towns can fight back, too.
"There is zero regard for the ‘green’ environment they claim to care so passionately about."
So true! The so-called green energy movement couldn't care less about the environment, from toxic lithium and other rare metals mining for electric car batteries, some of which will take place on Native American lands, to huge windmills which cannot be recycled and end up in landfills, to these solar panels which eliminate small farms, the entire green energy is a hoax, another money-making con.
By the way the climate change zealots do not seem to be able to make up their minds...on one hand they want solar panels everywhere, and on the other they want to dim the sun with geo-engineering. Are they mad or simply stupid?
I think that is excellent news. However, I believe a significant problem (maybe THE major problem) is the lack of strong support by local communities to make sure that local farming (particularly food production) is an essential part of the local economy. We can save all the farmland we want, but if it does not make economic sense for a farmer to support themselves and their family, who will continue to do so? As a society, we tend to help large businesses, big food producers, and other large entities. We continue to subsidize doing things the wrong way.
Ron Dodson -- Yes to this. I keep saying food is too cheap. With all the subsidies for big ag, for a small farm to make ends meet, folks often have to do other off-farm jobs as well.
Here is the paradigm we are using on our new market garden operation, in hopes that our small farm will "make it" financially:
I met two young farmers who needed land. We real estate shopped together, and I bought the land because I had inherited some money. The young farmers farm it because they have the love and the energy. They pay rent/mortgage to me with vegetables so my family eats very well, and they use the land for free. We're telling the story and providing resources in case anyone likes this idea and might consider trying it, at aboutthefarm.substack.com/
Please keep circulating over and over again. I don’t think people understand that they are stealing our lands. Many will roll up to National Parks and find hardly anybody there to maintain them. They will steal our parks
All solar farms will be extinct in the next 30 yrs it's not sustainable long term and will be replaced with other technologies. All this to power an intelligence that's artificial. PTB are delusional the people don't want any more fake sh*t that crushes life. Congrats are fighting this your town can be a shining example!
I would really like to post this post to Notes. I've tried, but it only showed up in Notes on my own substack. Can anyone explain to me how to post to the Notes that goes to more than my own subscribers? -- Eli the Tech Challenged
I appreciate your perspective and this seems to be a fairly well designed piece of legislation. Thoughtful Land use is key in all development scenarios. I do want to caution against painting the solar industry with too broad a brush. There are big companies that develop carelessly. There are many smaller companies like mine that are already doing a lot of these things voluntarily including environmental studies and mitigation plans, agrivoltaics and the like because we do care about responsible energy development. We are not the fossil fuel industry.
In addition we generally do not target agricultural land because there is so much industrial land available for smaller scale projects that we specialize in, such as landfills, industrial parks, floodplains, highway adjacent or otherwise unusable land. Agree with you that rooftop solar’s is ideal but it’s also more complicated because it has to be financeable and no one will finance a project on a failing strip mall, it’s too risky. But there are a ton of other roofs where it makes sense.
I think the key is enforcing smart and reasonable requirements without making it impossible to build new things. And focusing on smaller projects that have less of an impact on the land and surrounding areas and ecology. Remember, solar energy does displace dirty coal and gas plants eventually so in the grand scheme of things it’s a good thing to do for the planet.
While I absolutely agree with the push to preserve farmland and the environment and the legislation described here seems excellent, I am not sure some of the proposed alternative locations are practical. For example - placing solar panels above highways - is a highly disruptive activity and actually a safety risk. High speed vehicles potentially crashing into support structure and collapsing solar panels sounds like a high risk and high cost approach to me. Parking lots make way more sense where the risk is much lower and potential for disruption far less. Your reel suggesting dying or abandoned shopping malls and turning them into vertical farms I like also. Bottom line though - is cost. As you point out this is a money grab for Fed & State tax incentives that are creating a market distortion. At least this type of legislation helps place the ‘true cost’ of using remote farm land back into their cost calculations.
Perfect legislation, a pure gem!
"There is zero regard for the ‘green’ environment they claim to care so passionately about."
So true! The so-called green energy movement couldn't care less about the environment, from toxic lithium and other rare metals mining for electric car batteries, some of which will take place on Native American lands, to huge windmills which cannot be recycled and end up in landfills, to these solar panels which eliminate small farms, the entire green energy is a hoax, another money-making con.
By the way the climate change zealots do not seem to be able to make up their minds...on one hand they want solar panels everywhere, and on the other they want to dim the sun with geo-engineering. Are they mad or simply stupid?
Mad, greedy, AND stupid.
I think that is excellent news. However, I believe a significant problem (maybe THE major problem) is the lack of strong support by local communities to make sure that local farming (particularly food production) is an essential part of the local economy. We can save all the farmland we want, but if it does not make economic sense for a farmer to support themselves and their family, who will continue to do so? As a society, we tend to help large businesses, big food producers, and other large entities. We continue to subsidize doing things the wrong way.
Ron Dodson -- Yes to this. I keep saying food is too cheap. With all the subsidies for big ag, for a small farm to make ends meet, folks often have to do other off-farm jobs as well.
Here is the paradigm we are using on our new market garden operation, in hopes that our small farm will "make it" financially:
I met two young farmers who needed land. We real estate shopped together, and I bought the land because I had inherited some money. The young farmers farm it because they have the love and the energy. They pay rent/mortgage to me with vegetables so my family eats very well, and they use the land for free. We're telling the story and providing resources in case anyone likes this idea and might consider trying it, at aboutthefarm.substack.com/
I have subscribed so I can follow along with your efforts.
I would say; not only should we not just sit there, we need take a stand‼️thanks again for raising these very important issues.
The power of a motivated woman on a mission! Congratulations, Alexandra!
You do good work, I liked the decommissioning after 6 months of not producing electricity. Thanks again.
Fabulous news! Congrats to your whole community, and thanks to you for all the work you did to protect your local farmland.
Please keep circulating over and over again. I don’t think people understand that they are stealing our lands. Many will roll up to National Parks and find hardly anybody there to maintain them. They will steal our parks
You did well grasshopper. Shared your story far and wide.
Good news! Thanks Alexandra.
Congratulations.!
Excellent! So happy to hear that news! Thank you. Peace.
Good work
All solar farms will be extinct in the next 30 yrs it's not sustainable long term and will be replaced with other technologies. All this to power an intelligence that's artificial. PTB are delusional the people don't want any more fake sh*t that crushes life. Congrats are fighting this your town can be a shining example!
Thank you!
I would really like to post this post to Notes. I've tried, but it only showed up in Notes on my own substack. Can anyone explain to me how to post to the Notes that goes to more than my own subscribers? -- Eli the Tech Challenged
I appreciate your perspective and this seems to be a fairly well designed piece of legislation. Thoughtful Land use is key in all development scenarios. I do want to caution against painting the solar industry with too broad a brush. There are big companies that develop carelessly. There are many smaller companies like mine that are already doing a lot of these things voluntarily including environmental studies and mitigation plans, agrivoltaics and the like because we do care about responsible energy development. We are not the fossil fuel industry.
In addition we generally do not target agricultural land because there is so much industrial land available for smaller scale projects that we specialize in, such as landfills, industrial parks, floodplains, highway adjacent or otherwise unusable land. Agree with you that rooftop solar’s is ideal but it’s also more complicated because it has to be financeable and no one will finance a project on a failing strip mall, it’s too risky. But there are a ton of other roofs where it makes sense.
I think the key is enforcing smart and reasonable requirements without making it impossible to build new things. And focusing on smaller projects that have less of an impact on the land and surrounding areas and ecology. Remember, solar energy does displace dirty coal and gas plants eventually so in the grand scheme of things it’s a good thing to do for the planet.
While I absolutely agree with the push to preserve farmland and the environment and the legislation described here seems excellent, I am not sure some of the proposed alternative locations are practical. For example - placing solar panels above highways - is a highly disruptive activity and actually a safety risk. High speed vehicles potentially crashing into support structure and collapsing solar panels sounds like a high risk and high cost approach to me. Parking lots make way more sense where the risk is much lower and potential for disruption far less. Your reel suggesting dying or abandoned shopping malls and turning them into vertical farms I like also. Bottom line though - is cost. As you point out this is a money grab for Fed & State tax incentives that are creating a market distortion. At least this type of legislation helps place the ‘true cost’ of using remote farm land back into their cost calculations.