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WPTV: Solar plants draw concerns from Louisiana farmers, officials
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:21 pm
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:21 pm
quote:
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The push to build solar plants in Louisiana has been drawing increasing scrutiny from state lawmakers and local officials, who say farmers fear being crowded out of land leases by solar companies with deeper pockets.
The Advocate reports at least three parishes -- West Baton Rouge, Tangipahoa and Washington -- have issued moratoriums on utility-scale solar projects. Some legislative leaders also took aim at solar developments in the recently ended legislative session, trying to halt property tax breaks for such projects.
Those involved in the debate hope a bill by Republican Sen. Bret Allain, of Franklin, will help resolve the issues by requiring the Department of Natural Resources to craft regulations for utility-scale solar plants. Still, proponents of solar worry the pushback will have a chilling effect on the nascent but fast-growing industry.
Lawmakers passed a resolution from GOP House Speaker Clay Schexnayder asking the Louisiana Department of Economic Development to stop issuing tax incentives for solar projects through the Industrial Tax Exemption Program until next summer.
The agency will ask the Board of Commerce and Industry, which votes on industrial tax breaks, to review the request. But Anya Hudnall, a spokesperson for the economic development department, said the agency and Gov. John Bel Edwards "are generally supportive of and encourage and invite renewable energy investments in our state as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
For years, Louisiana farmers had little competition for land. Now, solar companies are snapping up options for land where they could potentially build developments -- and are able to pay much more to the landowners per acre than farmers usually do. Farmers are worried about being crowded out.
quote:
Stephen Wright, executive director of Gulf States Renewable Energy Industry Association, told The Advocate that even if Louisiana had the same share of energy coming from solar as California - when in fact it has far less - the solar developments would still take up less than 1% of available farmland in Louisiana.
Wright called the legislative resolutions and parish pauses on solar projects a setback.
quote:
Major Thibaut, president of Pointe Coupee Parish, negotiated with a subsidiary of British Petroleum to land a large $300 million solar plant in his area, near False River.
But Thibaut said farmers in his area have raised a range of concerns. He said he's had to debunk misinformation about the projects, such as some farmers' worry that mercury from the solar panels would pollute the land and make it unusable forever.
Thibaut thinks the pushback to solar is sending a "bad message" and could drive away big investments.
LINK
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Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:23 pm to ragincajun03
quote:I take mercury supplements daily. It’s fine.
some farmers' worry that mercury from the solar panels would pollute the land and make it unusable forever.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:25 pm to ragincajun03
Where does the power go if we don’t capture it with solar panels?
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:25 pm to ragincajun03
Elections have consequences
I feel like this may be my standard response to every thread from now on.
I feel like this may be my standard response to every thread from now on.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:25 pm to ragincajun03
Solar panels belong in the desert. Or on rooftops.
If you destroy green space for solar farms you're doing it wrong.
If you destroy green space for solar farms you're doing it wrong.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:26 pm to ragincajun03
quote:
But Thibaut said farmers in his area have raised a range of concerns. He said he's had to debunk misinformation about the projects, such as some farmers' worry that mercury from the solar panels would pollute the land and make it unusable forever.
I would look at studies in Europe specifically Germany and Austria if that is true.
I traveled to both a few times and took trains across the countryside in both and they have solar panels EVERYWHERE in their country in terms of farm fields and farming communities.
Every town you passed by had fields of crops then solar panels and then repeat.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:27 pm to Bestbank Tiger
quote:
If you destroy green space for solar farms you're doing it wrong.
The goal is not to do it right. The goal is takeover of land using tax dollars.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:28 pm to ragincajun03
quote:
Thibaut thinks the pushback to solar is sending a "bad message" and could drive away big investments.
No Major, we don’t want solar panels tying up farmland for 25 years. Not only because of what’s in the panels, not only because they’re ugly AF, but also because we have no assurances of who will clean up the solar farms when the solar company that operates them goes tits up. It’s a shitty use of the land.
And is this gonna be another boondoggle like the film tax credits that resulted in a net loss for the state?
I’m a firm believer in a property owners right to use his land as he sees fit. But quit paying businesses to come here via tax credits when they don’t offer a substantial return for the citizens via tax revenues or jobs.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:29 pm to SouthernStyled
quote:
GOP House Speaker Clay Schexnayder
I'm basically to the point anything that fart gargler is in favor of I'm against.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:30 pm to SouthernStyled
quote:
The goal is not to do it right. The goal is takeover of land using tax dollars.
That's what seems to be at hand here. Farmers are fearful utilities will push land values as they snap up rural tracts
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:30 pm to SouthernStyled
quote:
Elections have consequences
I feel like this may be my standard response to every thread from now on.
Because you’re too fricking stupid to respond with anything deeper than a Cliche.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:31 pm to Magician2
quote:
traveled to both a few times and took trains across the countryside in both and they have solar panels EVERYWHERE in their country in terms of farm fields and farming communities.
Well that settles it. If Europe does it, it must be right.
Just look at their success with Muslim immigration.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:32 pm to ragincajun03
quote:
Major Thibaut, president of Pointe Coupee Parish, negotiated with a subsidiary of British Petroleum to land a large $300 million solar plant in his area, near False River.
But Thibaut said farmers in his area have raised a range of concerns. He said he's had to debunk misinformation about the projects, such as some farmers' worry that mercury from the solar panels would pollute the land and make it unusable forever.
didn't know about this. Any idea where?
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:32 pm to ragincajun03
quote:
some farmers' worry that mercury from the solar panels would pollute the land and make it unusable forever.
my girlfriends grandparents own over 200 acres of farmland in Plaquemines. They are being cornered to lease their land to the solar farm, but the guy who tends the land has his exact same concern.
They really want to keep the land for farming purposes and not for solar, but havent heard what their price would be to sway them
This post was edited on 6/21/21 at 2:34 pm
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:35 pm to tigerinthebueche
quote:
who will clean up the solar farms when the solar company that operates them goes tits up. It’s a shitty use of the land.
It's nearly impossible for a solar farm to go abandoned as it will passively generate revenue even at less than peak efficiency. You have 25 years of lifespan in solar cells before they go away.
There absolutely will be a waste destruction process figured out over that time.
Landowners should have the right to use their land as they see fit. We have one of the highest rates of cancer in the country yet we are worried about solar power pollution? C'Mon man
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:36 pm to Bestbank Tiger
quote:
If you destroy green space for solar farms you're doing it wrong.
Yup, they smoked over 100 acres of amazing land in Washington parish for what essentially can power 500 homes 60% of the time.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:38 pm to Magician2
quote:
would look at studies in Europe specifically Germany and Austria if that is true. I traveled to both a few times and took trains across the countryside in both and they have solar panels EVERYWHERE in their country in terms of farm fields and farming communities. Every town you passed by had fields of crops then solar panels and then repeat.
And still Germany has to rely on Russia for their nat gas to power and warm themselves.
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:39 pm to Tigeralum2008
quote:
We have one of the highest rates of cancer in the country yet we are worried about solar power pollution? C'Mon man
Metals from the micro cracks panels as they bend and flex over time will eventually leach into the soil. And these farms take up a massive amount of space.
Solar isn't a unicorn solution here that it's cracked up to be. It makes much more sense on a smaller scale - on top of businesses as supplemental energy.
This post was edited on 6/21/21 at 2:41 pm
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:40 pm to goofball
quote:
Any idea where?
Looks like wherever this big sugar cane farm is.
quote:
VENTRESS - Oil giant BP is planning to build a 1,000-acre, $300 million solar power plant in Pointe Coupee Parish.
J.E Jumonville owns the sugar cane farm where BP wants to put the solar plant.
"The move is going green and clean," Jumonville said. "Apparently they are moving forward, because they spent a considerable amount of money doing research."
The proposal calls for up to 400 temporary construction jobs and could mean a big boost in tax dollars for the parish.
LINK /
Posted on 6/21/21 at 2:40 pm to winkchance
quote:
Yup, they smoked over 100 acres of amazing land in Washington parish for what essentially can power 500 homes 60% of the time.
Wow. So basically one acre of panels can power 3 homes. I knew it was bad but not that bad.
The one thing that sticks out in my mind is a picture I saw once where a solar farm was next to a wooded area. I immediately thought "it would be better if they had all of it as forest".
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