The family has been farming in Iowa for a long time. There are solar projects proposed near their farm. From left to right are Karen, David, and Jessica.
I published an essay written by a sixth generation farmer from Iowa about her fight against Big Solar projects that have been proposed for her area. In that piece, Petersen explained why Iowa farmers and rural landowners are fighting against large renewable projects. They grow pumpkins, zinnias, and cosmos in a pick-your-own operation, as well as other attractions.
The notion that there is plenty of land out there in flyover is a myth, according to an essay written by Petersen. The fights over large-scale renewable projects in Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and other states have been raging for years. In Wisconsin, residents are fighting the proposed 300-megawatt Koshkonong Solar Center, which is being promoted by Chicago-based Invenergy, one of the world's largest privately held renewable-energy developers.
Carissa Lyle lives in a century-old farmhouse in Christiana Township with her husband and three small children, who are 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 She wrote me about her situation. The Koshkonong project would surround their property on three sides. She asked anyone who was reading this to put themselves in her shoes, as she didn't know what her family's future would look like. We have some difficult decisions to make. We must decide if we want to stay at this location if the project is approved. Will we be able to sell if we decide it isn't worth the risk of our family? How much of a loss will we take if we sell?
The Linn County Board of Supervisors approved the 100 watt solar project on January 24. She shared her views on the approval of the project and what it means for her and other Iowa farmers. The project was approved by the Linn County Board of Supervisors even though the Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission voted against it. She said that the Linn County Board of Supervisors held four public meetings. There is a lightly edited version of her update.
The first meeting included a recommendation from the Linn County ResourceConservationist to promote proper growth of the vegetation under the solar panels and a requirement that a 1,250 ft. setback be added by one of the supervisors. Both of those conditions were considered a project killer at the second meeting. The project application went to the third review. The third meeting consisted of discussion, public comment, and postponement of the final review to a fourth meeting. The fourth meeting had a vote before anyone spoke. There was a 2:1 vote to remove the 1,250-foot setback and return it to its original height of 18 inches. Both happened very quickly. It has become clear that the project has little to do with improving the soil health or protecting the people who live around the solar electric generation facility.
To provide screening of 1,000 feet parallel with adjacent property owners, and to subtract the salvaged value from the cost, were added. One supervisor wanted to add a condition to hold the project accountable for any property value losses within the lifespan of the project. It shouldn't be a problem to be held accountable for the possibility of a solar facility in the future, as he mentioned, because the property values wouldn't be negatively impacted by it. After that statement, the developer did not have an answer. The other two supervisors voted no on that condition.
NextEra Energy's application to Linn County and a 1,250 ft. setback would have been very difficult if there had been any condition added to the project. I find the 1,250-foot (negotiable) setback incredibly reasonable, as wind turbines are generally recommended around that distance here in Iowa, and hog buildings in Linn County are required at that distance as well.
Disaster and fire recovery, as well as noise nuisance from the construction phase, are logical considerations. Non-participating property owners can participate in the discussion. I have heard that the noise from the solar facilities can be heard from a mile away. They propose construction to last around a year. I have talked to a couple of people who have gone through this around the country, and they have said that the noise is mind numbing, and something that often seems to get swept under the rug when thinking about the people who are to live in proximity to the facility.
There have been 20 tornadoes in the past 75 years in the area proposed for this project. Due to tornado warnings in the area, a meeting of the Iowa Utilities Board was cut short. I was dodging funnel clouds for two hours on my way home from the meeting, where NextEra Energy and Invenergy are both proposing projects. Was it a sign? I think so. I would hope so. It seemed that way to me.
We live in a high-risk wind area. In August of 2020, my family's farm was hit by two tornadoes and a derecho. I didn't know what a derecho was until I read the news a couple of days after the storm. Linn County was hit the hardest by the 140 mph straight-line wind. Thousands of acres of solar panels made of predominantly glass are proposed. It was traumatic and devastating for many people.
Our environment and people are still healing from the storm. The facilities proposed by NextEra Energy will be Risk Category 1. Since the facilities are generating more than 25 megawatt of electricity, they should be built to Risk Category 3. The Department of Energy supports this category recommendation. Linn County officials have not yet committed to building to this standard.
The people who are to live around this project are devastated. There is a family that has been farming there for over 40 years. They have raised their families there. There is another family that invested in their dream property for a fish farming operation, and they are connected very deeply to their homes and their lives that they have built there. It took eight years for him to find this property. Due to the proposed project, he has held off on building his new home. He wants to create a space at his farm for other people to come, enjoy, and learn about his Japanese fish gardens. He wants to build a wedding venue. There is a deer on his farm. He wants to help the community and other people. He was surrounded on three sides by the facility.
The lack of consideration for the people from Linn County, the energy companies, and the initiative groups is shocking. People are not listening. I come home sick to my stomach after sitting through these meetings.
People are on the microphone at public meetings, desperate for help, desperate for something to give them hope, and so many don't even bat an eye. NextEra Energy states that they will abide by the recommendation of the US Fish and Wildlife Service to keep eagle's nest away from the proposed projects. I do love eagles, but I love more. People. The people are barely considered.
Many forget that people actually live here. It has been crazy. At public meetings, you hear about farming, you hear about wildlife, you hear about who is buying the power, and so on and so forth. A common theme is left out of many conversations. The people are impacted. Gina McCarthy, the US National Climate advisor under President Joe Biden, commented recently on a local news station about how the lack of transparency and communication with community members and farmers impacted by renewable energy proposals is a problem here in Iowa. Many do need a dose of energy humanism.
4,000 megawatts of utility-scale solar is proposed for Iowa in MISO. Around 20,000 to 40,000 acres of solar panels would be required. I'm worried about Iowa. There are over 5000 acres leased in Linn County, and that number is growing. I don't know much about wind energy, but I have heard that it is being leased aggressively, along with a large amount already established in the state. I've seen what the possibilities are for farming in Iowa for a long time now.
Iowa is an agricultural state. I want it to stay as an agricultural state. There are many people who want to farm and keep agriculture alive. In Iowa, the next generation of farming will be solar and wind energy generating facilities, with solar panels on highly productive agricultural land. I would like to see the sun harvest, but with plants. In a million years, I wouldn't have thought that Iowa would be a leader in wind and solar generating energy on productive farmland.
It is heartbreaking. It hurts my bones. I love farming and I know the future possibilities. I love the state of Iowa. I love the people who live here. The proposed solar and wind are doing a good job of breaking that apart.
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