Fighting 'Solar Farm' Installation

[pmsmechanic]

Didn’t Europe, Germany, etc. try wind and solar and now they’re firing up coal plants again?

I beleive they also have NG ones too. They tried to buy NG from us to replace Russian NG but our ever so wise prime minister turned them down. So now they are buying NG from Australia and some Arab states instead.

I edited this to remove a political comment because I don't want the thread shut down.

 

[kenmbz]

Even the nuclear people point out that waste disposal is an ever growing problem. From their marketing site: What is nuclear waste and what do we do with it? - World Nuclear Association

And who says the oil industry does not get its share of subsidies, like not paying taxes in the US.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute found that the US government alone spends $20 billion every year on direct fossil fuel subsidies. Of that figure, around $16 billion goes towards oil and gas, while the remaining $4 billion benefits the coal industry.

All of the energy groups are taking us for a ride, not just the "green" ones.

Can you imagine if all these subsidies were put to educating the poor in trades (and not into politicians pockets) we could reduce welfare and handouts.

 

[Hay Dude]

Even the nuclear people point out that waste disposal is an ever growing problem. From their marketing site: What is nuclear waste and what do we do with it? - World Nuclear Association

And who says the oil industry does not get its share of subsidies, like not paying taxes in the US.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute found that the US government alone spends $20 billion every year on direct fossil fuel subsidies. Of that figure, around $16 billion goes towards oil and gas, while the remaining $4 billion benefits the coal industry.

All of the energy groups are taking us for a ride, not just the "green" ones.

Can you imagine if all these subsidies were put to educating the poor in trades (and not into politicians pockets) we could reduce welfare and handouts.

While we all know there’s subsidies for many industries, certain industries receive a lot more subsidy than others. “Favoritism” - you know, like the brother who gets more than the other siblings?

After seeing the latest budgets, we can clearly see green energy is the favorite sibling, while fossil fuel energy is penalized.

The G_______t is once again picking winners and losers. While it seems great to prop up an industry, like the auto industry to save it or green energy to get it started, it rarely ends well. Our automakers are now indebted or beholden to the G________t and will have to take orders from them.

 

[LouNY]

You clearly did not and still do not because you still believe battery backup on grid tie PV is forbidden.

If you were half as smart as you seem to think you are you'd be damned smart.
Go back and read the last paragraph in my reply, some people can make a stump seem intelligent.

 

[kenmbz]

While we all know there’s subsidies for many industries, certain industries receive a lot more subsidy than others. “Favoritism” - you know, like the brother who gets more than the other siblings?

After seeing the latest budgets, we can clearly see green energy is the favorite sibling, while fossil fuel energy is penalized.

The G_______t is once again picking winners and losers. While it seems great to prop up an industry, like the auto industry to save it or green energy to get it started, it rarely ends well. Our automakers are now indebted or beholden to the G________t and will have to take orders from them.

Someone once told me to invest in whatever the gov seemed to favor.
Done well with that so far, wonder why that is

 

[riptides]

Just got public notice on a 500 acre proposed Solar Farm 2 miles down the road from me AND a 66 acre proposed data center (1.4m sq ft) 1 mile up the road.

LOL.

Neither will serve my community. Both sit on "good farmland". Both have infrastructure tie in. Although the datacenter may need a substation and a mile or two for the feed lines into the grid.

Our existing power company "upgraded" their lines in this area a few years ago. Their version of an upgrade expanded tower height and doubled up on the towers to hand 230kv transmissions. That did not go over well with the county, community or residents that had to deal with that. But you know those ROWS don't have a lot of regulations on what some actions can take place on them.

With that "upgrade", these farmlands will become prime targets for industrial zoning changes.

I imagine both landowners will or have cashed in and are out of here.

 

[Muhammad]

A handful of posts have crossed over into political opinions. Please keep the politics out of this thread so we can keep it open.

 

[Hay Dude]

The more farmland goes into solar panels, the more food prices will increase and the more food we will be forced to import.
Feels like someday this once beautiful country will be covered in solar panels & windmills in many areas.

What a bleak and depressing future.

 

[walhondingMF]

The more farmland goes into solar panels, the more food prices will increase and the more food we will be forced to import.
Feels like someday this once beautiful country will be covered in solar panels & windmills in many areas.

What a bleak and depressing future.

I can agree with you partially on that sentiment. However, a large number of wind farms are in crop land regions of the country where agriculture is still happening under them. Covering up good farm land with a solar panel is not the most ideal way to make it agriculturally productive but, like stated previously, some farmers are finding ways to raise things like sheep on that ground. In many situations, allowing wind or solar on their farm land is a profit increase. Until the farmer can make more money JUST farming their land, they will always have to look for additional income options.
I live close to The Wilds, a type of large scale zoo in Ohio. Its basically a huge grassland. You know why it's only grassland? Because when they mined for coal here, they ruined the agricultural productivity of the land.
Just a few miles south of me, in Noble county, several thousand acres of privately owned rural ground is being strip mined. Most of the mineral rights were sold prior to the current land owners purchasing their land. They have zero say. The coal company has already sold this coal, but not in America. It has already been bought by China.
Are there smarter places to put solar panels and wind turbines, absolutely. But my diversifying America's energy production options, we decrease dependence. The farm that is struggling gets some additional income and their land is still productive to them. The natural gas boom in my area has been a God send for all of the land owners in our area, and it has a minimal impact, at least from an extraction stand point. None of them are perfect (we may not have perfect energy production until I am an old man with fusion), but some are better options than others.
Also, IMO, urban sprawl is the greatest threat to farm land. Just drive around Columbus, Ohio if you want a perfect example of that.

 

[MossRoad]

The True Land Footprint of Solar Energy

In communities with active solar development, there is often debate about how utility-scale solar might affect existing land uses or natural resources.

betterenergy.org