Solar Farms are Threatening Farmlands

September 25, 2024

Solar energy developments are taking over land across rural America. These fields are popping up thanks to the federal subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The biggest problem is the developments are being built on America’s farm and range land, setting us up for larger problems in the future. 

Just the News reports,  

“Brendan Shea, commissioner-elect for Madison County, Ohio, told Just the News that the county has lost 10,000 acres to renewable energy developments. Another 6,000 acres may be lost if another project gets final approval. He said as the number of farms shrinks, opportunities in the ag industry are shrinking along with it. ‘“There’s definite impacts on the ag economy. Industry and suppliers that serve the ag economy, we’ve seen layoffs and problems like that,” Shae said.”

Then there’s the fact that this land is being taken from the ag industry for unreliable energy. The sun can’t shine 24/7, and solar energy only works when the sun is shining.

“The project would generate up to 800 megawatts of intermittent power, because it functions only when the sun is shining. He compares that to the Lordstown Energy Center gas-fired power plant near Youngstown, Ohio, which generates 940 megawatts on 17 acres and produces on-demand power nearly continuously. Based on the average U.S. home consumption of approximately 899,000 watt hours per month, a 940-megawatt gas plant running for one month could power approximately 1,045 homes, depending on energy demand. Solar farms produce energy intermittently, so the total watt hours per month any farm produces depends on the amount of sunshine and clouds.”

The eco-left will stop at nothing to get their way regarding renewable energy, even if it is unreliable and takes over land that could be used to grow crops or preserve the environment.