Solar Farm/Leases

[vtfireman85]

59 minutes ago, Chester5732 said:

No. They will just walk away.  They won’t clean up anything. 

But someone will, I bet a whole new industry pops up 

[Chester5732]

3 minutes ago, vtfireman85 said:

But someone will, I bet a whole new industry pops up 

Only if there is money to pay them.  

[766 Man]

1 hour ago, Chester5732 said:

No. They will just walk away.  They won’t clean up anything. 

  I think he meant government employees who will be paid by the taxpayers.  After legislation is passed putting the responsibility for cleanup on the state.  

[bitty]

3 hours ago, Matt Kirsch said:

Parking lots would be a disaster. When people can't avoid hitting the ONLY light pole in the middle of a wide-open parking lot, what makes you think that the support structure for solar panels is going to be safe? That's not even considering people ignoring the height signs and trying to drive their 12' tall RV under an 8' overhead clearance.

Honestly though, was anyone expecting any positive comments about solar in THIS group?

Trust me I know it can very easily be done over a parking lot. At the barn we had protector poles by the garage doors. Parking lots would just need to be 14 ft clearance. I'm not one that is for solar panels at all to solve mass electric generation. I would put up a tiny cheap panel at my shed to charge a battery to run LED lights in the shed . 

[Matt Kirsch]

2 hours ago, bitty said:

Trust me I know it can very easily be done over a parking lot. At the barn we had protector poles by the garage doors. Parking lots would just need to be 14 ft clearance. I'm not one that is for solar panels at all to solve mass electric generation. I would put up a tiny cheap panel at my shed to charge a battery to run LED lights in the shed . 

Protector poles... I don't care how big around you make them or how deep you bury them, they'll figure out a way to take them down. Enough beer and a good run-up is all it takes.

14ft? You know they're not going to do that. You'll be lucky to get 8ft clearance. Look at the glorified overgrown TV trays they're setting them on now. The structure to put the panels high enough to have 14ft inside clearance, a minimum number of support poles, and strong enough to withstand an F250 doing 50MPH would never pencil out. Though I'm sure that would please some people to no end.

I have mixed feelings on the issue. I think we need solar energy, but I don't like how it's being implemented. I understand WHY it's being implemented that way, but I don't like it. However, it's the property owner's property and theirs to do as they please. There are lots worse things to be living next to than a solar farm, really. They could be putting in a landfill or a sewage treatment plant. Or an illegal puppy mill that the authorities turn a blind eye to.

[vtfireman85]

3 hours ago, Chester5732 said:

Only if there is money to pay them.  

Someone is going to pay for it, more than likely in 20 years it will be a discovery special about the thousands of acres of defunct solar panels. Never the less, be it the tax payers or the insurance companies or maybe even some of the solar companies themselves there’s going to be money to be made in removing them, just as there is in putting them in. Whenever one entity is losing money, another is gaining it. 

[766 Man]

26 minutes ago, vtfireman85 said:

Someone is going to pay for it, more than likely in 20 years it will be a discovery special about the thousands of acres of defunct solar panels. Never the less, be it the tax payers or the insurance companies or maybe even some of the solar companies themselves there’s going to be money to be made in removing them, just as there is in putting them in. Whenever one entity is losing money, another is gaining it. 

  Thousands of acres would be just one small state.  Across the US I would bet that there would be tens of millions or more.  I'd be very curious as to whether an insurance company would cover solar panels.  I would bet the actuaries told management that solar panels will fail and it is just matter of time and not if.  

[Chester5732]

1 hour ago, vtfireman85 said:

Someone is going to pay for it, more than likely in 20 years it will be a discovery special about the thousands of acres of defunct solar panels. Never the less, be it the tax payers or the insurance companies or maybe even some of the solar companies themselves there’s going to be money to be made in removing them, just as there is in putting them in. Whenever one entity is losing money, another is gaining it. 

Taxpayers.  No one else. 

[766 Man]

1 hour ago, Matt Kirsch said:

Protector poles... I don't care how big around you make them or how deep you bury them, they'll figure out a way to take them down. Enough beer and a good run-up is all it takes.

14ft? You know they're not going to do that. You'll be lucky to get 8ft clearance. Look at the glorified overgrown TV trays they're setting them on now. The structure to put the panels high enough to have 14ft inside clearance, a minimum number of support poles, and strong enough to withstand an F250 doing 50MPH would never pencil out. Though I'm sure that would please some people to no end.

I have mixed feelings on the issue. I think we need solar energy, but I don't like how it's being implemented. I understand WHY it's being implemented that way, but I don't like it. However, it's the property owner's property and theirs to do as they please. There are lots worse things to be living next to than a solar farm, really. They could be putting in a landfill or a sewage treatment plant. Or an illegal puppy mill that the authorities turn a blind eye to.

  You and I live in the area of water flowing from a high spot to a low spot.  A few years ago the idea was floated to have power generation at the Mount Morris dam.  I guess the placements already exist at the dam for generators.  The elected dimwits from Monroe County strongly objected to that.  I get that the primary purpose of the Mount Morris dam is flood control but also understand it would not be that hard to manage for flood control and power generation.  Would it serve all of NY?  No, but it might very well provide for the needs of the so called Genesee Valley including Livingston and Monroe Counties along with Batavia and Canandaigua.  Would it be year round?  Most likely not most years but that is the risk with power generation on many rivers in the US and Canada.  Then there is the recreational aspect but my understanding is the water level can be quite high at the dam but the three falls would be very accessible for tourists.  I just don't like the idea of something being rejected for non-logical reasons.  Our state wants us to forgo other forms of heating and it sure would be nice if we have to use electric that the Mount Morris dam would be there to help during the heating season.  

[New Englander]

As I get a lot of viewing from the air there are lots of warehouses with solar panels on the roof, parking structures as well. That’s where they belong, if at all and not covering farmland. There are also acres of solar farms in the desert, perhaps another good place. Windmills spoiling the hillsides everywhere and will never create enough juice for the mandated EVs in 2035, which may be going away as even GM is now fighting.

[mader656]

Small scale solar works good large scale is just government money laundering. The only advantage to large solar over big wind is the trash is more compact and easier to recycle as less concrete on site. 

[Reichow7120]

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Matt Kirsch said:

Protector poles... I don't care how big around you make them or how deep you bury them, they'll figure out a way to take them down. Enough beer and a good run-up is all it takes.

14ft? You know they're not going to do that. You'll be lucky to get 8ft clearance. Look at the glorified overgrown TV trays they're setting them on now. The structure to put the panels high enough to have 14ft inside clearance, a minimum number of support poles, and strong enough to withstand an F250 doing 50MPH would never pencil out. Though I'm sure that would please some people to no end.

I have mixed feelings on the issue. I think we need solar energy, but I don't like how it's being implemented. I understand WHY it's being implemented that way, but I don't like it. However, it's the property owner's property and theirs to do as they please. There are lots worse things to be living next to than a solar farm, really. They could be putting in a landfill or a sewage treatment plant. Or an illegal puppy mill that the authorities turn a blind eye to.

I would take the puppy mill to be honest. At least when the dogs are gone. The land might still be useful for something other than junk and marestail. 

I live in a area that they have 10s of thousands of acres under the damn things. I got to watch how they excavated the land to put them in. 

Im in Southern Michigan where topsoil is a finite resource. When they started shapping the land they just started pushing. Some places the topsoil is feet deep, other places there isn't any topsoil. Dug some nice retention ponds too. You think when they are done they are going to get that dirt spread back out, compaction taken care of and those retention ponds taken out? My money is not.

Another thing not mentioned is the wildlife displacment. They fence all that ground off so they cant get in. Guess where all the government livestock goes. On the open ground. Again i bet good money that The Peoples Republic of New York will allow you to take care of that problem or reemburce you for crop damage. Just like we do here in Michigan. 😑😖😡

I posted back at the end of the year about 52 acres that has one -ell of a deer problem because all the deer that were displaced by these solar fields in a already overcrowded area. About 25 of those acres last year yielded squat in corn and it was a good crop year. Deer ate the tassles and never made a ear. 

Can someone answer me this question. Why are they pushing for solar in some of these areas. My area of Michigan from roughly late October/early November til the end of March/first half of April is one cloudy, dreary, damp place. I refer to it as the armpit of America with Lake Michigan throwing clouds, and snow at us all winter. What is the efficency of these panels for these months? I bet not great. Ive seen them with snow on them days after it fell. What is the generation on them? 

Like I said, anyone wants pictures of what they have done around here. Let me know. Ill post a ton. And can get more.

[Chester5732]

4 minutes ago, Reichow7120 said:

 

 

 

I would take the puppy mill to be honest. At least when the dogs are gone. The land might still be useful for something other than junk and marestail. 

I live in a area that they have 10s of thousands of acres under the damn things. I got to watch how they excavated the land to put them in. 

Im in Southern Michigan where topsoil is a finite resource. When they started shapping the land they just started pushing. Some places the topsoil is feet deep, other places there isn't any topsoil. Dug some nice retention ponds too. You think when they are done they are going to get that dirt spread back out, compaction taken care of and those retention ponds taken out? My money is not.

Another thing not mentioned is the wildlife displacment. They fence all that ground off so they cant get in. Guess where all the government livestock goes. On the open ground. Again i bet good money that The Peoples Republic of New York will allow you to take care of that problem or reemburce you for crop damage. Just like we do here in Michigan. 😑😖😡

I posted back at the end of the year about 52 acres that has one -ell of a deer problem because all the deer that were displaced by these solar fields in a already overcrowded area. About 25 of those acres last year yielded squat in corn and it was a good crop year. Deer ate the tassles and never made a ear. 

Can someone answer me this question. Why are they pushing for solar in some of these areas. My area of Michigan from roughly late October/early November til the end of March/first half of April is one cloudy, dreary, damp place. I refer to it as the armpit of America with Lake Michigan throwing clouds, and snow at us all winter. What is the efficency of these panels for these months? I bet not great. Ive seen them with snow on them days after it fell. What is the generation on them? 

Like I said, anyone wants pictures of what they have done around here. Let me know. Ill post a ton. And can get more.

Well said!!

[766 Man]

17 minutes ago, Reichow7120 said:

 

 

 

I would take the puppy mill to be honest. At least when the dogs are gone. The land might still be useful for something other than junk and marestail. 

I live in a area that they have 10s of thousands of acres under the damn things. I got to watch how they excavated the land to put them in. 

Im in Southern Michigan where topsoil is a finite resource. When they started shapping the land they just started pushing. Some places the topsoil is feet deep, other places there isn't any topsoil. Dug some nice retention ponds too. You think when they are done they are going to get that dirt spread back out, compaction taken care of and those retention ponds taken out? My money is not.

Another thing not mentioned is the wildlife displacment. They fence all that ground off so they cant get in. Guess where all the government livestock goes. On the open ground. Again i bet good money that The Peoples Republic of New York will allow you to take care of that problem or reemburce you for crop damage. Just like we do here in Michigan. 😑😖😡

I posted back at the end of the year about 52 acres that has one -ell of a deer problem because all the deer that were displaced by these solar fields in a already overcrowded area. About 25 of those acres last year yielded squat in corn and it was a good crop year. Deer ate the tassles and never made a ear. 

Can someone answer me this question. Why are they pushing for solar in some of these areas. My area of Michigan from roughly late October/early November til the end of March/first half of April is one cloudy, dreary, damp place. I refer to it as the armpit of America with Lake Michigan throwing clouds, and snow at us all winter. What is the efficency of these panels for these months? I bet not great. Ive seen them with snow on them days after it fell. What is the generation on them? 

Like I said, anyone wants pictures of what they have done around here. Let me know. Ill post a ton. And can get more.

  In NY I would try to sue on behalf of all timber rattlesnakes to stall the solar panels.  The weird is the only thing that registers with most politicians.  If Fluffy the cat from next door wanders into the solar panel field and gets fried nobody that matters would care.

[cm228]

7 hours ago, Matt Kirsch said:

Protector poles... I don't care how big around you make them or how deep you bury them, they'll figure out a way to take them down. Enough beer and a good run-up is all it takes.

14ft? You know they're not going to do that. You'll be lucky to get 8ft clearance. Look at the glorified overgrown TV trays they're setting them on now. The structure to put the panels high enough to have 14ft inside clearance, a minimum number of support poles, and strong enough to withstand an F250 doing 50MPH would never pencil out. Though I'm sure that would please some people to no end.

I have mixed feelings on the issue. I think we need solar energy, but I don't like how it's being implemented. I understand WHY it's being implemented that way, but I don't like it. However, it's the property owner's property and theirs to do as they please. There are lots worse things to be living next to than a solar farm, really. They could be putting in a landfill or a sewage treatment plant. Or an illegal puppy mill that the authorities turn a blind eye to.

I agree with the protector poles getting wrecked. There’s an unmanned commercial fueling site near me. There are 30” min diameter bollards to protect the fuel pumps. One of them is sheered off. Granted i highly doubt there’s any rebar in it, but how hard do have to hit a 30-36” solid concrete column to sheer it off. 
 

Matt

[nepoweshiekfarmalls]

My hometown,  is in all honesty,  a small farming community.  But, it is also home to one of the largest,  wealthiest liberal arts colleges in the nation.  And that changes EVERYTHING!!!    Many, many clueless tree huggers from all over the country with entirely too much money!  The contradiction is: that I don't see any of these sandal wearing, BMW Driving,  modern hippies giving up their worldly goods any time soon!!!  They embrace whatever method to save the earth from carbon admissions is popular at the time.  

  A few years ago, a former manufacturing site was torn down in town.  The ground was known to be "contaminated ", but nobody spoke about it publicly.   The school board purchased the property after the city forced the former owner out using eminent domain.....   surprise, surprise!  Guess what?  The ground was too contaminated to build the school on.  So, the city ended up with the property.  This past year, the property was fenced and a solar farm installed.  So, the contaminated ground is dealt with and hippies get their environmentally friendly electricity!!!   🤔 

[searcyfarms]

On 5/18/2025 at 5:36 AM, vtfireman85 said:

It’s not just solar farms with no follow through on contract obligations. This flag pole is a cell tower. I was on the board when it was put here, at the time it had to be approved by the town, there were choices as to what type of tower, “landscaping”, etc. as part of the contract Verizon is responsible for maintaining the flag. They end up replacing the flag every few years, but it becomes tattered, torn and a real disgrace for many, many months before they finally show up to fix it. This last time they seem to have decided to just remove it. 
The biggest issue is that no one has any way of contacting the company about it, no matter what number you get you just get a run around about having to try some other entity, the whole thing is like a MASH episode, getting sent on a telephone goose chase. 
Memorial Day is a week away and here we have a bare flagpole which everyone who sees it, and is uninformed blames the town for. 

call for action at our local NEWs affiliate will put it online and once drawn attention to Verizon not being supportive of AMERICA, they will be calling you guarantee it. - If it catches hold on social media it will get run up the flagpole like a lightening bolt, big corp doesnt want that kind of attention trust me. 

[brewcrew]

There was a fairly local solar farm put in recently, and the man who owns the farm got an injunction against him preventing him from going on his own property. Mind you, I’ve heard he’s a hothead who earned the injunction, but why would anyone sign up for something that prevents you from using your own land?! 
there are also two wind projects in my area, one of which could include my farm. I hope like heck they can’t get the acres they need, or perhaps DOGE shuts down subsidies for such projects or something. My farm could be in the project, but I don’t have enough land to actually get a tower, and since I’m on the edge of their “territory” I doubt I would even see power lines or other ancillary uses. Yet still, if I signed up and the project went forward I would get $75 per acre just for participating, even if they never touched my farm. 

[pt756]

there is a big wind farm being planned for Clark and Marathon counties maybe, Farmland First got going on trying to fight it, By the time anybody really caught on they already had thousands of acres, townships all passed ordinances, it probably cant stop them, 

[Finney]

A solar company has leased 2,000+ acres within 15 miles of me. This has been going on for at least 10 years. Got all the approvals form the county, state and feds. A lady moved in to a next door property (3 acres) a couple years ago and is raising cain about it. Her idea is because she lives next to it she should be able to dictate what they can do with their property. The county fiscal court had a public meeting/forum on the matter. She spoke for almost a hour, 90% of everything she said was a lie. She was called out on most of it but it did not slow her down. When it came my time to speak I told her she had 3 options, look the other way, buy the property, or move back where she came from. 

My point is no one should be able to tell you what to do with your own property period.   

[Chester5732]

2 hours ago, Finney said:

A solar company has leased 2,000+ acres within 15 miles of me. This has been going on for at least 10 years. Got all the approvals form the county, state and feds. A lady moved in to a next door property (3 acres) a couple years ago and is raising cain about it. Her idea is because she lives next to it she should be able to dictate what they can do with their property. The county fiscal court had a public meeting/forum on the matter. She spoke for almost a hour, 90% of everything she said was a lie. She was called out on most of it but it did not slow her down. When it came my time to speak I told her she had 3 options, look the other way, buy the property, or move back where she came from. 

My point is no one should be able to tell you what to do with your own property period.   

It depends on who was there first.  If someone moved in next to me and wanted to put in something that was going to negatively impact me, you better believe I would raise he!! with them.  

[M35A2]

Here in our county in SE Iowa, the local county supervisors (actually one of them stood to make a few bucks off the deal) couldn't wait to get 1000 acres of private land in a solar farm, with 800 acres under panels.  Solar company sold the supervisor on the project claiming it would bring in all sorts of tax revenue.  Because of how Iowa taxes utilities, in the end, the county is now loosing about 100k a year in property taxes due to tax structure.  Land is no longer taxed as farmland, but only the physical footprint of the panel posts get taxed under a utility provision in Iowa code.   The one supervisor made out like a bandit though by renting his hotel to the workers, buying all the tools, ladders, and small equipment the company didn't want to transfer to the next job.  Taxpayers got scammed.