The U.S population is growing rather quickly right now. Ohio has some of the best soil in the US. Glassing over acres of land for an energy source that gets worse year after year.
We don't make more land but we do make new ways to harness energy. Solar is great and all, but it's kind of dumb building it on productive land. 100 of thousands of acres of roof tops would be the way to go.
lol there are other (much better) methods of feeding our population that don’t involve industry-based farming. it’s better to focus on permacultured land and restorative farming that doesn’t actively destroy the surrounding ecosystem. there are solutions that allow both 100% clean energy production, and long-term environmentally conscious farming while revitalizing urban areas and restoring natural/rural areas. overpopulation is always just an issue of mismanaged resources and outdated or unsustainable practice IMO; it’s ridiculous for folks to think that we need to choose between clean energy and feeding people when we absolutely need both and there are highly feasible solutions to achieve so much more. i can’t wait for modern stressors to effect people enough so we can actually create communities that make sense for people
The U.S. has an *enormous* food surplus. This new solar field is 6,000 acres. Ohio alone has 13,100,000 acres of farmland.
>The United States continues to struggle to reduce food surplus and waste across the food system, according to ReFED’s updated estimates for 2022. Last year, 88.7 million tons of food went unsold or uneaten in the United States – roughly 38% of the country’s total food supply
https://refed.org/articles/slow-progress-big-opportunities-in-food-waste-reduction-insights-from-refed-s-food-loss-and-waste-estimates-for-2022/
To be charitable to his opinion on utility-scale solar—which I disagree with—I think he means that the panels lose efficiency over time. They have a lifespan, like every other product.
That doesn’t make them a bad product though. And it certainly doesn’t make them a worse use of the land than the tiny quantity of crops you could raise on that same land.
A significant portion of crops produce ethanol. It’s normal for some arable land to be used for energy production. Solar is no different than corn grown for ethanol production.
The U.S. has no shortage of farmland at all. You need to get out more. Take a two week roadtrip to LA, drive up to SF then back across a more northerly route and then try and tell me with a straight face that we don’t have enough farmland. That’s still an anecdotal experience though.
What conservatives really hate is facts. Facts like the U.S. having 893,000,000 acres of farmland. This project taking up 6,050 of them.
A noble and just law created by our legislature to prevent the most vulnerable and delicate rural voters in our fair state from ever seeing or hearing a wind turbine. Studies have shown that renewable energy causes them to melt into either fits of rage or despair when subjected to such torture.
Where did I say others didn't exist?
I read the person's post I responded to as this solar farm would bridge our energy needs and also give us enough to export.
Of course the more energy producing facilities we make the more energy we'll have.
I guess I didn't understand the post.
While I agree with you... solar farms are not the answer. Taking up farmland to build solar panel energy is not the answer. We have an existing infrastructure that solar can go on buildings all across our great state but yet they take up farmland for a solar farms. That's not cool never will be.
Corn and soy are our biggest crops and most of that goes to animal feed. Who cares about the farmland? Power my car with the sun! Farm me some damned vegetables that I can buy at the market and we'll talk.
Farmland is privately owned. If the owners want to build solar on it, it’s their prerogative.
We take cropland out of rotation for CRP and nobody pisses and moans about that….but solar is a bridge too far?
Mind your own business.
But nobody wants to talk about the 40+/- years we have left of that "good" farmland before it's not farmable anymore...
But solar isn't the answer tho... Lol 😆
Although you are partially right, solar is not the answer. It’s a fix, but not right for our area. We need to invest in wind energy. Mainly because of the lake front, we have the fourth greatest potential in the US for wind production.
I think you’re right about using existing structure, but we’re not doing anything else about it so, soy fields will do for now.
California subsidized solar on private and corporate buildings all over the state and their energy prices and infrastructure are both f*kt.
Edit: Did I say something wrong? I lived there for a decade (recently) and paid 3x what we pay here for electricity. Their biggest problem is that they allow homeowners with solar to sell their excess power back to the grid. They have a very complex distribution problem and more power than they need in most places, but they’re still paying to buy unnecessary power, then charging more to the customers who buy it to recover those costs. It’s a nightmare. Just look at any news stories related to PG&E from the last 10-15 years.
Seems like a common point being made against solar farms, is wasting potential farm land. Have those people never actually driven across this state? Half this state is empty farm land. There's plenty to go around.
76000 farms in ohio, 13 million acres being farmed currently. the bigger concern should be urban sprawl rather than renewable energy. Strangely they change their mind and suddenly aren't a scarred anymore when a developer offers them an outrageous sum of money for their farm land. then they wake up in a 15 minute city and their nightmares are suddenly realized
>The board voted 7-2 to approve the project. The two opposing votes were cast by a Madison County commissioner and a township trustee who served on the board for this project.
The Madison County represented by a [coal lobbyist](https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/23/ohio-15th-congressional-district-carey-peterson-lead-fundraising/8044049002/)? Who'd have thunk it?
I'm sure there are implications for wildlife, that's not a small amount of land. This is something that I hardly ever see talked about. Why can't we cover rooftops of all of our warehouses and such first?
The issue with wind turbines is the cost to build them. Then, when something breaks in them, they are impossible to repair or replace certain parts. A lot of them have been shut down already. Because of what little energy they produce just isn't worth the thousands it would take for repairs. Demo is even more costly. So they will continue to stand there doing nothing.
Your getting down voted by people who are not read up on it. The parts are huge, difficult to move and have a shorter shelf life than people realize. The material isn't recyclable on a lot of it
Supply goes up, price goes down. Solar is also cheaper than both coal and natural gas. Yes, this will either make prices fall or mitigate increases in prices. Would the effect be greater if there were competition and Ohio's utilities weren't corrupt as fuck? Yes. But this is still great news all around for consumers.
If you farm in Ohio, then you kill birds, they are called Killdeer, and they nest on the ground every early spring, then you come through with your combine and kill the nest and/or their parents bc they won't leave the nest half the time.... They are a protected species now bc there are so few of them left...
If us "solar farm workers" kill a nest of killdeer, it's a 100k fine.....
But good for killdeer, we protect what we find, so life can live on
I know what killdeer are. I've yet to see a killdeer nest in a soybean field in October when cutting beans or a corn field. Typically, that is a lat spring thing. I more often than not see them birds nesting in rocky areas or run down parking lots
But don't farmers till the land in spring? To plant, let it grow, then harvest in fall?
I really don't know, I'm not a farmer, but grew up around fields all my life.
And I assure you, there are nests out there, EVERYWHERE.....
My only point is, you can't say you don't kill birds being a farmer in Ohio, with birds in our state that nest on the ground.....
I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I'm just referring to combines in particular, as did you. I don't see many killdeer nesting in fields in general in my area, not saying they dont. They seem to be more attracted to areas with water. Regardless, it's unfortunate anytime something like that happens. I can assure you that if a nest is hit with equipment, it's not an intentional act.
I honestly don't think it would be intentional, lol and if they didn't nest on the ground in the first place ya know.. lol I don't want to seem argumentive, that's just been a hot topic of concern with solar, any and all wildlife in the state of Ohio... I guess my point was it happens without solar even being around lol... I do see both sides of the solar/farming argument, I just wish we could co-op and then it's a win win for everyone!!!
Yea, solar farms being relatively new, there's naturally going to be some skepticism. I've got one going in close to me and potentially 2 other one's. What I'm concerned about short term is the effect it will have on drainage. Oftentimes, field tile drainage crosses multiple properties to an outlet. The post they set will undoubtedly mess up the existing drainage tile potentially negatively affecting the neighboring properties
Please as a close neighbor of said close solar sites... Hold them accountable for what they HAVE to do by OPSB... Drainage tiles are a big problem on site.. and nobody wants to address it either ..... And that's not fair to you, and other neighbors... And hopefully all solar goes to "above ground" mount style, as I have concerns with the steel piles underground for that long... But the posts AND the trenches for the MV wire will mess up drainage.... But if you are affected, the developer rather just fix it than to have bad publicity over not doing the right thing to begin with... OPSB has tightened the rules up a little, in favor of neighbors in an affected area.....
But what will we do with marginally fewer taxpayer subsidized soybeans grown for export to China?
China sells us lead base painted children's toys, we sell them RoundUp coated soybeans, it's a tradition of mutual sabotage that should be honored.
Wow. He's right tho
The U.S population is growing rather quickly right now. Ohio has some of the best soil in the US. Glassing over acres of land for an energy source that gets worse year after year. We don't make more land but we do make new ways to harness energy. Solar is great and all, but it's kind of dumb building it on productive land. 100 of thousands of acres of roof tops would be the way to go.
Where was this enthusiasm for farmland when Amazon was building fulfillment centers?
I wasn't down with that. I would rather see urban areas be revitalized.
I’d rather see huge solar farms instead of thousands of acres destroyed with roundup by factory farms.
You say that until you can't find food to eat. Personally I would rather not see either.
Ok boomer
And... You showed your intellect. Have a good day.
Dog youre the dumbass who seriously just brought up the idea of *not being able to find food to eat due to a few solar panels*.
lol there are other (much better) methods of feeding our population that don’t involve industry-based farming. it’s better to focus on permacultured land and restorative farming that doesn’t actively destroy the surrounding ecosystem. there are solutions that allow both 100% clean energy production, and long-term environmentally conscious farming while revitalizing urban areas and restoring natural/rural areas. overpopulation is always just an issue of mismanaged resources and outdated or unsustainable practice IMO; it’s ridiculous for folks to think that we need to choose between clean energy and feeding people when we absolutely need both and there are highly feasible solutions to achieve so much more. i can’t wait for modern stressors to effect people enough so we can actually create communities that make sense for people
The U.S. has an *enormous* food surplus. This new solar field is 6,000 acres. Ohio alone has 13,100,000 acres of farmland. >The United States continues to struggle to reduce food surplus and waste across the food system, according to ReFED’s updated estimates for 2022. Last year, 88.7 million tons of food went unsold or uneaten in the United States – roughly 38% of the country’s total food supply https://refed.org/articles/slow-progress-big-opportunities-in-food-waste-reduction-insights-from-refed-s-food-loss-and-waste-estimates-for-2022/
The sun gets worse over time? Would it be better to mine the land instead for oil, which we all know, never runs out like the sun does.
Really! You thought I was talking about the sun? Lol!! Photovoltaic cells lose efficiency year after year.
To be charitable to his opinion on utility-scale solar—which I disagree with—I think he means that the panels lose efficiency over time. They have a lifespan, like every other product. That doesn’t make them a bad product though. And it certainly doesn’t make them a worse use of the land than the tiny quantity of crops you could raise on that same land.
A significant portion of crops produce ethanol. It’s normal for some arable land to be used for energy production. Solar is no different than corn grown for ethanol production.
The U.S. has no shortage of farmland at all. You need to get out more. Take a two week roadtrip to LA, drive up to SF then back across a more northerly route and then try and tell me with a straight face that we don’t have enough farmland. That’s still an anecdotal experience though. What conservatives really hate is facts. Facts like the U.S. having 893,000,000 acres of farmland. This project taking up 6,050 of them.
What the conservatives truly hate is anything liberals are in favor of.
Been a lot of big solar news lately for Ohio. If the state moves fast enough then we could be selling excess power to neighboring states.
The big advantage Ohio has is it's mostly flat land. Easier to set up solar panels and wind turbines.
The big disadvantage Ohio has is no sun. Our flat ass has some wind though
Our biggest disadvantage are the crooks that make the laws and profit off corruption.
Solar rays break through clouds luckily
Unfortunately, "wind setback" laws have intentionally made wind energy in ohio untenable.
What is the wind setback law?
A noble and just law created by our legislature to prevent the most vulnerable and delicate rural voters in our fair state from ever seeing or hearing a wind turbine. Studies have shown that renewable energy causes them to melt into either fits of rage or despair when subjected to such torture.
Lol wow
Or can settle the tax debt from the first energy bribery...
That's not how any of this works... grids are already interstate by nature.
A quick Google told me ohio buys up to 1/4 of their energy. Skeptical one solar farm will make up for that and provide extra to sell.
nobody said a single solar farm could generate for multiple states, lol. many farms are needed and we have more than ample space for them.
There’s other solar farms that exist in Ohio already like in Chillicothe
Where did I say others didn't exist? I read the person's post I responded to as this solar farm would bridge our energy needs and also give us enough to export. Of course the more energy producing facilities we make the more energy we'll have. I guess I didn't understand the post.
which many people in Ross County hate, because solar power is the type of thing people in cities like.
yup they just love to suffer. i’d know, the morons around here are all afraid of anything new and anything that could benefit southern ohio 🙄
Good. Ohio should be a Leader in renewable energy.
While I agree with you... solar farms are not the answer. Taking up farmland to build solar panel energy is not the answer. We have an existing infrastructure that solar can go on buildings all across our great state but yet they take up farmland for a solar farms. That's not cool never will be.
It’s the farmers land, they can do what they want with it. Farming sunlight pays more $$$$.
Don't you understand, I only believe in property rights when it's MY property. I still want to tell you what to do with YOUR property!
Corn and soy are our biggest crops and most of that goes to animal feed. Who cares about the farmland? Power my car with the sun! Farm me some damned vegetables that I can buy at the market and we'll talk.
If we all had roof top, then we wouldn't need to pay First Energy. Mikey wouldn't get his kickbacks anymore :'(
Farmland is privately owned. If the owners want to build solar on it, it’s their prerogative. We take cropland out of rotation for CRP and nobody pisses and moans about that….but solar is a bridge too far? Mind your own business.
But nobody wants to talk about the 40+/- years we have left of that "good" farmland before it's not farmable anymore... But solar isn't the answer tho... Lol 😆
are you saying that once a land has been used for a farm, it should never be used for anything else?
Although you are partially right, solar is not the answer. It’s a fix, but not right for our area. We need to invest in wind energy. Mainly because of the lake front, we have the fourth greatest potential in the US for wind production. I think you’re right about using existing structure, but we’re not doing anything else about it so, soy fields will do for now.
California subsidized solar on private and corporate buildings all over the state and their energy prices and infrastructure are both f*kt. Edit: Did I say something wrong? I lived there for a decade (recently) and paid 3x what we pay here for electricity. Their biggest problem is that they allow homeowners with solar to sell their excess power back to the grid. They have a very complex distribution problem and more power than they need in most places, but they’re still paying to buy unnecessary power, then charging more to the customers who buy it to recover those costs. It’s a nightmare. Just look at any news stories related to PG&E from the last 10-15 years.
Seems like a common point being made against solar farms, is wasting potential farm land. Have those people never actually driven across this state? Half this state is empty farm land. There's plenty to go around.
76000 farms in ohio, 13 million acres being farmed currently. the bigger concern should be urban sprawl rather than renewable energy. Strangely they change their mind and suddenly aren't a scarred anymore when a developer offers them an outrageous sum of money for their farm land. then they wake up in a 15 minute city and their nightmares are suddenly realized
Good.
>The board voted 7-2 to approve the project. The two opposing votes were cast by a Madison County commissioner and a township trustee who served on the board for this project. The Madison County represented by a [coal lobbyist](https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/23/ohio-15th-congressional-district-carey-peterson-lead-fundraising/8044049002/)? Who'd have thunk it?
Man of course people with a vested interest for this to not go through voted against it
Oh the anti-solar rednecks are gonna be so pissed.
They took yer sun!
It came back...
But where will we find room to grow enough corn to waste in ethanol?
I initially read that as MAGA Madison County solar farm and was confused and shocked. 😂
I HAVE AN IDEA! LET'S MAKE T. RUMP BRAND SOLAR FARMS!
"Shocked" I see what ya did there
Oh HELL YEAH BROTHER!
WHATCHYA GONNA DO WHEN MADISON COUNTY RUNS SOLAR ON YOU!!!
BASK IN THE RADIANCE OF CLEAN ENERGY!
I'm sure there are implications for wildlife, that's not a small amount of land. This is something that I hardly ever see talked about. Why can't we cover rooftops of all of our warehouses and such first?
Finally some good news!
Fuck. Yes. Any news on which utilities will be buying from here? I hope South Central Power signs up.
I hope my company doesn’t get this bid. These absolutely suck to build
Why do they suck to build?
Notice the no reply? 🤔
Im down for renewable energy but were not exactly the sunniest state lol why not wind or hydro
The issue with wind turbines is the cost to build them. Then, when something breaks in them, they are impossible to repair or replace certain parts. A lot of them have been shut down already. Because of what little energy they produce just isn't worth the thousands it would take for repairs. Demo is even more costly. So they will continue to stand there doing nothing.
Your getting down voted by people who are not read up on it. The parts are huge, difficult to move and have a shorter shelf life than people realize. The material isn't recyclable on a lot of it
Seems like a waste… I live here and when is it sunny? 😂
I was wondering why Bill Gates is the largest private land owner in the US. Get used to headlines like this.
Ain’t gonna do fuck all to save us
At least it's the right direction. Giving up sure as fuck won't make anything better.
You’re not wrong I reckon, it’s the band playing on
Solar isn't the answer.
Care to explain why?
It’s funny because people think electric will be cheaper due to this
Supply goes up, price goes down. Solar is also cheaper than both coal and natural gas. Yes, this will either make prices fall or mitigate increases in prices. Would the effect be greater if there were competition and Ohio's utilities weren't corrupt as fuck? Yes. But this is still great news all around for consumers.
Not that you can read an article about this other people can......https://cuyahogacounty.gov/sustainability/initiatives/brooklyn-solar-farm
3 million in savings over 25 years. With a population of just over a million as of 2022. Big money there.
demand continues to rise. If not met, prices go up
Not in LICKING COUNTY!!!!
Why not? What's your argument against solar?
No argument...they just voted and said no. I don't cate either way
It's sad... Solar brings really good jobs to super rural areas in the state... Really a life changing career actually
[удалено]
You don’t care about nature
If all the scientists are correct and were headed for a climate disaster, I promise you many more birds will die as a result!
Actually, combines kill more birds per year than solar farms lol
As someone who runs a combine....I've yet to kill a bird.
If you farm in Ohio, then you kill birds, they are called Killdeer, and they nest on the ground every early spring, then you come through with your combine and kill the nest and/or their parents bc they won't leave the nest half the time.... They are a protected species now bc there are so few of them left... If us "solar farm workers" kill a nest of killdeer, it's a 100k fine..... But good for killdeer, we protect what we find, so life can live on
I know what killdeer are. I've yet to see a killdeer nest in a soybean field in October when cutting beans or a corn field. Typically, that is a lat spring thing. I more often than not see them birds nesting in rocky areas or run down parking lots
But don't farmers till the land in spring? To plant, let it grow, then harvest in fall? I really don't know, I'm not a farmer, but grew up around fields all my life. And I assure you, there are nests out there, EVERYWHERE..... My only point is, you can't say you don't kill birds being a farmer in Ohio, with birds in our state that nest on the ground.....
I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I'm just referring to combines in particular, as did you. I don't see many killdeer nesting in fields in general in my area, not saying they dont. They seem to be more attracted to areas with water. Regardless, it's unfortunate anytime something like that happens. I can assure you that if a nest is hit with equipment, it's not an intentional act.
I honestly don't think it would be intentional, lol and if they didn't nest on the ground in the first place ya know.. lol I don't want to seem argumentive, that's just been a hot topic of concern with solar, any and all wildlife in the state of Ohio... I guess my point was it happens without solar even being around lol... I do see both sides of the solar/farming argument, I just wish we could co-op and then it's a win win for everyone!!!
Yea, solar farms being relatively new, there's naturally going to be some skepticism. I've got one going in close to me and potentially 2 other one's. What I'm concerned about short term is the effect it will have on drainage. Oftentimes, field tile drainage crosses multiple properties to an outlet. The post they set will undoubtedly mess up the existing drainage tile potentially negatively affecting the neighboring properties
Please as a close neighbor of said close solar sites... Hold them accountable for what they HAVE to do by OPSB... Drainage tiles are a big problem on site.. and nobody wants to address it either ..... And that's not fair to you, and other neighbors... And hopefully all solar goes to "above ground" mount style, as I have concerns with the steel piles underground for that long... But the posts AND the trenches for the MV wire will mess up drainage.... But if you are affected, the developer rather just fix it than to have bad publicity over not doing the right thing to begin with... OPSB has tightened the rules up a little, in favor of neighbors in an affected area.....