Despite their Benefits, Solar Farms Are Receiving Pushback

Opponents of clean energy development are increasingly attacking solar energy projects at the local level. Inaccurate claims about alleged environmental hazards or threats to agriculture have become a problem for clean solar development in many areas.

Reports of a proposed solar farm being opposed or denied have become a recurring story in North Carolina or neighboring states. Even though new solar projects are continuing and producing benefits for local economies in many other locations, the growth in organized opposition could undermine the vast potential of solar development in the fight against climate change.

Last week, a Virginia farmer published an article talking about what happened to her family’s proposal to use part of their farm for a solar energy production project, and why its denial hurts their ability to maintain the rest of the farm in agricultural production. 

Virginia is expected to consider bills in this year’s state legislative session dealing with regulations and permitting for solar projects. The question of whether that regulation should be at the state or local levels will be among the hot topics.

In North Carolina, solar developer Joel Olsen has a more positive result to recount in his successful solar and sheep farm in Montgomery County. 

Impact Nationwide

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) also discusses the issue in its October 2023 report, “Solar Siting in the South.” It notes that many local government approaches inadvertently or intentionally discourage solar development and cites a National Renewable Energy Laboratory finding that “such restrictive ordinances have the potential to decrease the availability of land for solar development by 38% nationwide.” The SELC report goes on to discuss ways to keep solar projects low-impact land uses.

The reality is that these solar projects provide the cleanest energy source available, provide substantial local economic benefits, and are an essential part of the clean energy transition. Environmental and climate action advocates should be on the lookout for relevant local proposals, review them, and consider weighing in on the support side for good projects.