Reality check on Citizens Voice of Mason County Inc web site
Citizen Voice of Mason County Inc. attempts to generate F(ear) U(ncertainity) D(oubt) with unsupported claims and pretty pictures. As we are discussing solar ability to contribute to Mason COunty’s ecological and financial future we can benefit from reviewing the reality of their claims.
Claim: Land in a Solar farm is gone forever. Reality: After a solar farm is decommissioned the land will be in BETTER condition than if the land had row crops for the same period. read more
Claim: Prime agricultural farmland can feed the world. Industrial Solar isn’t for local consumption. Reality: As shown above the sod under solar protects topsoil while reducing chemical pollution from Ag Chemicals. read more
Claim: Solar power generation is very inefficient when looking at the amount of land “consumed.” Reality: Solar does not “consume land”. Instead, it protects land by allowing sod to rejuvenate the organic matter in the topsoil. read more
Claim: Undermining of local residents’ property values Reality: Comparative analysis shows solar facilities have no discernable impact on the property values of abutting or adjacent residential or agricultural properties. Read more
Claim: The bill for decommissioning projects will likely be passed on to taxpayers. Reality:
If Mason County adopts a solar zoning regulation based on the Kentucky Model Solar Zoning Ordinance then it will have these requirements for issuing the Solar Farm’s conditional use permit.
- The anticipated life of project and and defined conditions upon which decommissioning will be initiated;
- The estimated decommissioning cost, updated every 5 years.
- The manner in which the project will be decommissioned
- The parties responsible for decommissioning
- A performance bond, letter of credit, or other financial assurance payable to either the City of Maysville or the Mason County Fiscal Court sufficient to cover the net costs identified to assure that decommissioning of the site can be achieved by a third party in the event that a permittee defaults in that obligation
These requirements assure reclamation. Read more
Claim: Muddy conditions will exist across the site during and after construction. Reality: Any one who has been on fields knows Mason COunty can have muddy fields. They also know that sod helps reduce mud and reduce stormwater runoff. Because solar will have permanent sod under the panels for thirty or more years, solar will reduce mud and stormwater as it improves the topsoil. read more
Claim: Solar Panels Produce Tons of Toxic Waste—Literally Reality:
Claim: The Environmental Disaster of Solar Energy Reality:
Claim: The Dark Side of the Sun: Avoiding Conflict Over Solar Energy’s Land and Water Demands Reality:
Claim: How the solar industry is responding to the increasing intensity of natural disasters Reality:
Claim: Big Solar’s Death Panels Reality:
Claim: Duke Energy application points finger at solar for increased pollution Reality:
Claim: Solar power plants destroy wildlife habitat. Reality:
Claim: Solar power plants threaten preservation and should not destroy historic sites. Reality: