ReducingCalifornia's agricultural land and increasing solar energy production is crucial.
The Darden project, the nation's largest solar-plus-storage project, is being planned for 14 square miles in Fresno County. Developed by Intersect Power, this project is expected to provide up to 1,150 megawatts of solar energy and 4,600 megawatt-hours of battery storage, enough to power 850,000 homes after dark.
However, the Darden project has stirred up controversy, with local officials and farmers expressing concerns about the conversion of farmland into solar panel farms. The loss of fertile agricultural land could threaten the local economy, food supply, and the agricultural way of life.
Under AB 1156, growers in water-stressed areas can suspend their contracts for solar development without paying a fee. This bill, which passed the Assembly and is moving through the Senate, aims to make it easier for solar projects to be developed.
While the Darden project will be built on retired farmland, reducing potential environmental conflicts, the opposition to solar development on farmland is rooted in the fear of immediate threats to California’s food security, agricultural economy, and cultural heritage.
The Imperial Irrigation District, which controls more Colorado River water than the entire state of Arizona, voted to oppose further solar development on Imperial Valley farmland. The farm bureau, too, has argued against letting landowners out of their Williamson Act contracts except under extremely narrow circumstances.
Despite these concerns, the Darden project will generate significant revenue for the state. The developer, Intersect Power, will pay hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes over time. Solar companies should also pay for more "community benefits" to make up for lost jobs, according to Dustin Mulvaney, an environmental studies professor.
The tension reflects a larger state-wide dilemma of balancing clean energy expansion with the preservation of critical agricultural lands. Conservation activist Kim Delfino and her group, Defenders of Wildlife, support AB 1156, arguing that it strikes a balance between clean energy and agricultural preservation.
California needs to build an estimated 60 gigawatts of solar, wind, and battery capacity in the next decade to replace fossil fuels. The Darden project is a significant step towards this goal, but it also highlights the challenges of balancing clean energy expansion with the preservation of critical agricultural lands.
References: [1] Mulvaney, D., & Brown, L. (2021). Solar and Environmental Justice in the Imperial Valley. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. [2] Smith, J. (2021). California’s Climate Crisis and the Threat to Farmland. The New York Times. [3] Johnson, K. (2021). Farmers vs. Solar: A Battle Over California’s Future. The Washington Post.
- The Darden project, a solar-plus-storage project expected to provide 1,150 megawatts of solar energy, is facing opposition from local officials, farmers, and the Imperial Irrigation District, due to concerns about the conversion of farmland into solar panel farms.
- This controversy stems from fears of threats to California’s food security, agricultural economy, and cultural heritage, as well as the loss of fertile agricultural land.
- California, dealing with a potential climate change-induced drought, needs to build 60 gigawatts of solar, wind, and battery capacity in the next decade to replace fossil fuels.
- Under AB 1156, growers in water-stressed areas can suspend their contracts for solar development without paying a fee, aiming to make it easier for solar projects to be developed.
- The Darden project will be built on retired farmland, reducing potential environmental conflicts, but the opposition remains strong due to immediate threats perceived to the agricultural way of life.
- The developer of the Darden project, Intersect Power, will pay hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes over time, generating significant revenue for the state.
- To address concerns about lost jobs due to solar developments, solar companies should pay for more "community benefits," according to Dustin Mulvaney, an environmental studies professor.
- The Imperial Irrigation District, which controls more Colorado River water than the entire state of Arizona, and the farm bureau have argued against letting landowners out of their Williamson Act contracts except under extremely narrow circumstances.
- Despite these concerns, conservation activist Kim Delfino and her group, Defenders of Wildlife, support AB 1156, arguing that it strikes a balance between clean energy and agricultural preservation.
- The Darden project is a significant step towards meeting California’s clean energy goals, but the tension between clean energy expansion and the preservation of critical agricultural lands is a broader state-wide dilemma.
- General news sources [1], [2], and [3] highlight this conflict, discussing the challenges of balancing clean energy growth with the preservation of agricultural lands, and the larger impact on California’s climate change policy-and-legislation and economy, including the renewable-energy, energy, finance, and business industries, as well as environmental-science and politics.
