California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

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Solar developers are swallowing up thousands of acres of productive California farmland to build utility-scale solar installations. That could be a big problem for California’s agriculture industry if the development is not more carefully monitored, said Ed Thompson with the American Farmland Trust. There are currently 40,000 acres of California farmland in development or slated [...]The post California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland appeared...

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  • jaggedben
    jaggedben Solar Expert Posts: 230 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

    This is why the legislature should really make it easier to aggregate commercial roof spaces and things like parking lots for large solar projects. Rooftop solar is ultimately more environmentally sensible.
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

    I asked myself this question in the 60's when 'pave paradise' was popular: Why are we not building houses on the hill sides and leaving the flat arable land for crops? Same thing applies here just substitute 'Solar' for 'houses'??? may not be optimal, but as Will Rogers said ''Buy (flat) land, they aren't makin' any more of it". Where do we grow our food if it is covered by PV panels??
     
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,642 admin
    #4
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

    It's OK... "California" is killing the central valley with dramatic cuts in water supply for crops. Choice is a dust bowl or solar farms (not the choices I would have made--But it seems to be where we are at right now).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland
    westbranch wrote: »
    I asked myself this question in the 60's when 'pave paradise' was popular: Why are we not building houses on the hill sides and leaving the flat arable land for crops?

    They do build houses on hillsides. Then it rains and the houses come down off the hillsides.

    I can't count the number of times I've heard people complain about the "wasted space" of "empty farmland". It seems most people think food comes from a factory, not a field. I've worked in both and can tell you it's not so. ;)
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    It seems most people think food comes from a factory, not a field.

    Soylent Green anyone?
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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  • jaggedben
    jaggedben Solar Expert Posts: 230 ✭✭
    #7
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

    One pattern that has been identified in history is that civilizations start with farming on good fertile locations (e.g. near rivers) and then when they have success and surplus, they build cities on those very same spots they were living, thus paving over the best farming land and relying on the less fertile surrounding land for their food. Eventually it catches up to them and they can't feed themselves well enough anymore, and they go into decline and collapse. I'd like to think that nowadays we have enough knowledge of history to avoid such mistakes, but I'm aware that's probably a pretty naive thought.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

    That sign at the North Pole that says "Occupancy by more than 3 billion is dangerous and unlawful" is another clue. :p
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  • tmarch
    tmarch Solar Expert Posts: 143 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

    $100,000 dollars an acre for wine, dang must be lots of winos (sp) around. Good land for cattle production (think $8.00 a pound steak) could be substituted for 10% of the cost, but then this is Kalifornia (no offense Bill).
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,642 admin
    #10
    Re: California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

    Doesn't bother me (Kalifornia). They are doing their best to drive me out.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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