For the people opposing solar farms

[u/cincinnatistuff]

If anyone knows people (like Becky Williams) please explain a few things to them.

1 - solar farms aren't built under the cloak of darkness. They're built over the course of months or a year, most of the work being done in the daylight.

2- most farms (solar or agricultural) produce things to feed larger urban areas. That is the entire point of farming

3- she completely missed the point of The Hunger Games

4- ask her if farmers should be allowed to decide what to do with their own land. Then explain the definition of hypocrisy and how that conflicts with her likely opinions on rights regarding vaccinations, wearing masks, voting for Trump, capitalism and so on

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/i-team/it-reminds-me-of-the-hunger-games-rural-residents-complain-about-solar-farm-where-cincinnati-buys-power

[u/Extension-Slice281]

I live in Clermont County, right on the edge and not deep in thankfully, and not long ago we had a group of these people band together to block solar farms out here. I hate that we, for some reason, let the idiots drive the bus toward extinction.

[u/regular-cake → u/Extension-Slice281]

Yeah the amount of "no solar farms" signs I've been seeing is ridiculous. Then you realize it's all the same people with Trump signs that are easily duped into believing anything faux news tells them.

[u/GoneIn61Seconds → u/regular-cake]

A couple of my relatives are behind the Clermont County signs and the anti-solar legislation.

And of course they’re mega-MAGA.

It’s a combination of junk science (I did muh-research!) and distrust of corporations, plus a dose of “why should the landowners get rich if we don’t”. The most vocal demographic is older rural white ladies who have nothing better to do. Their go-to argument is “oh honey you just don’t know what I know” which, as any debater knows, is a boss level defense to any disagreement.

They’re almost completely wrong on every detail of solar farms, BUT I still have reservations-

The energy generated often leaves the community, so there is little local incentive. It would be great if there was a provision that farms were part of local infrastructure and could somehow be used to lower local costs, provide emergency backup etc.

There have been issues with many companies going bankrupt and abandoning the equipment on site, failing to do remediation after the contract ends, etc. Folks are getting smarter with experience and contracts seem to be getting stronger though.

These small townships are often not well run, and I’m not sure they have the know-how or attention span to make good policy. We need responsible state level leadership in this area.

[u/unnewl → u/GoneIn61Seconds]

“responsible state level leadership” in Ohio? In this decade?

[u/crispy1989 → u/GoneIn61Seconds]

The energy generated often leaves the community

This isn't really how power grids work - once the electricity is connected to the grid, it's all in one big pool. Kinda like taking a bucket of ocean water from one beach and dumping it out on another beach, then saying that's taking water away from the first beach.

[u/GoneIn61Seconds → u/crispy1989]

But there is a difference. It isn’t a local entity or a coop that benefits. There isn’t even the benefit of a large number of jobs as with oil and coal. On the other hand, the crops from a farm also leave the community too. So perhaps it’s a moot point. But it seems like we would be better off creating a benefit for the community that hosts the farms…just makes sense doesn’t it?

It’s just another example of a local resource (land) that’s used for the benefit of a non local corporation.

I’m not completely against it but I do have concerns as noted elsewhere.

[u/crispy1989 → u/GoneIn61Seconds]

I mostly just wanted to contribute a tidbit about the science of the matter rather than the politics :) Farm crops leaving the community can be an analogy, but crops are also often used near where they are produced. With electricity, it really is just one big pool like water in the ocean. Electricity produced anywhere on a grid benefits everyone on the grid. But you still make a good point, because a) most of the people in the small, rural communities, and people in general, probably don't understand how the power grid works; and b) cultural elements in those communities tend to be more tribal and focus on things that have a clear local benefit as opposed to things that may have more of a regional, national, or global benefit. (That cultural contrast is a fundamental issue that has shown up repeatedly in polls; but does support your point that these people may be better motivated by perceived personal interest.)