Issues
With Industrial Solar Farms
01.
Unsustainable and harmful to the local established ecosystem. We have a vast array of wildlife in the area that depend on our farmland and local habitat to live. The fenced fields can impede the natural flow of wildlife in the area. Those with strong support for solar energy have concerns about the concentrated solar.
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02.
Foreign controlled assets and weakened critical infrastructure. Our leased land contracts, with solar energy systems built with our tax subsidies, are being purchased by foreign companies. This gives the power to corporations and other countries to make decisions about our critical infrastructure and the ability to control our power. Not to mention, the energy trading scheme, which puts our communities at-risk for increased utility bills.
03.
Loss of viable land for crops which provide sustenance for our communities and wildlife. Arable farmland is crucial to our food security. Even if we put laws in place to protect our farmland, our government is systematically dismantling arable farmland through its own policies. (For the history of the ordinance, please reference the "What We Know" page). As investors, corporations, and developers continue to acquire natural resources, individuals may face challenges in obtaining land. Land leasing is one method that can be used to gain control of land, but it may also lead to concerns about serfdom.
04.
Adds to our inflation by giving away our tax dollars and increases our national debt. Subsidies are given to developers, who make profits at our expense.
05.
The potential for Heat Islands. As we removed our plants and vegetation for the industrialized solar, less CO2 is being absorbed. Also, studies have shown the increase of temperatures around these solar fields and show that solar panels are less effective with the increase of surface heat. Actually, they raise the temperature during the day and lower it at night,, in ways the natural environment does not do. If we are really trying to lower temperatures and are concerned about climate change, these large concentrated solar fields have pitfalls that counter the very thing they are meant to do: lower planetary temperatures and mitigate climate change.
06.
Loss of property and home values. It probably comes as no surprise that many who are looking to invest in the country lifestyle, their first choice of buying a home will not be next to industrialized energy facilities. From the loss of the natural scenery to the concerns about health impacts to humans or animals, placing industrial activities near homes comes at the cost to the residents who live near by.
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07.
Collapse of the farming industry and subsequent job loss. Farm land is increasingly being leased by developers offering substantial higher payments for land rent than what younger farmers are able to afford. As less and less farms are producing crops and foods for animals, the lower the demand for the farming supplies, equipment and skills. The lower the demand leads to lower production and job loss. The lower production and scarcity leads to higher prices and in return making it even more difficult for anyone trying to continue or start farming. As a generation goes by, there will be very few who will have the land, equipment or opportunity to learn the skills necessary to farm and our nation is facing the loss of the ability to keep our population fed.
08.
Eminent Domain and other Property Rights Issues. As per Purdue University's informational sheet, private utilities have the authority to exercise eminent domain. So right now farmers are being lured by financial incentives offered by developers who promise to decommission the solar projects once the lease is completed and currently farmers have a choice in the matter before these utilities are established. However, with the shift towards renewable energy, these solar fields will become critical infrastructure necessary for public use. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that private utilities won't use eminent domain once the project is established.
09.
Coming Soon.
10.
Coming Soon.