To the Editor:
Over the past couple months I've been reading in this paper about the proposed Brickyard solar farm. To my dismay, I’ve seen a number of denunciations of the proposal from those who oppose change and want the organic farm back.
It's never fun to oppose a handful of neighbors who feel passionately about an issue and are vocal. But I’m writing because it's time for someone to state the obvious: the solar farm is a very good idea. We — I feel confident a majority of those who live near the Brickyard farm — know this in our hearts, because the proposal is a clear winner for both our neighborhood and the greater good.
First, from the neighborhood perspective, we should be jumping for joy at the solar farm proposal. When the soccer fields were proposed several years ago, many of us thought that would be a far better use of the Brickyard farm than a new school, residential development or other heavy improvements that would entail more people, traffic, etc. But opponents of the soccer fields made a fair point about increased traffic, and then proceeded to kill the proposal through technical legal arguments that the county had failed to comply with zoning and notice obligations. The county ultimately capitulated, but not before a judge took the unusual step of chastising the stereotypical "not in my backyard" attitude of entitled, affluent neighbors, and suggesting that we would get our due when a new school is built on the Brickyard site.
So when I first read about the solar farm idea, I couldn't believe our luck. After the initial installation of the solar panels, a solar farm will entail exactly: no new residents; no visitors; no increase in traffic; no tall buildings; and no significant noise. There is only one modest environmental impact, storm water runoff, which is far outweighed by the massive new source of completely clean, indefinitely renewable energy. In short, a solar farm is about as beneficial and low impact a use of the Brickyard land as we could possibly hope for.
I was surprised, then, when opponents of the plan quickly emerged. For them, apparently, no use of the Brickyard site other than the original organic farm will be acceptable. This is unrealistic. When you do not own a piece of land, you do not get to dictate what happens on it. Opponents claim to "applaud MCPS's pursuit of energy efficiency" but want the panels installed "on rooftops and parking lots" — in other words, not in my backyard. You do not need to be a solar engineer to understand that it is far cheaper, faster and easier to install 8,000 solar panels in one place, with a single connection to the energy grid,than to make 200 separate installations averaging 40 panels each, requiring 200 individual connections to the energy grid, on rooftops that are harder to access than an open field.
Which brings us to the nub of the issue. The solar farm – not just this particular solar farm, but the two others the county is proposing, as well as dozens of others around the state and hundreds around the country – is urgently needed now. We've all seen the headlines and know the stakes. Every nation must make rapid, aggressive investments in renewable energy sources if we are to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. So is now really the time for us to be opposing a solar farm?
Opponents talk nostalgically about the educational benefits of the organic farm for our kids. But our kids need us to build them a boatload of renewable energy, and quickly, far more than they need an organic farm.
So let's be good citizens and support the Brickyard solar farm. Let's do our part this time, and not be that affluent "not in my backyard" neighborhood. It makes no sense to go through another round of litigation, yard signs, endless hearings and court dates, when in reality the solar farm is a win-win for us: low impact to the neighborhood and terrific for society. If we cooperate with the county this time, who knows, maybe they'll actually help us with aesthetic landscaping, setbacks from Brickyard Road and other mitigants to the visibility of the panels.
We all know that renewable energy is critical. Let’s not let a vocal minority stop us from doing our part as a community.
Chase Sanders
River Falls