Eastern Shore speakers urge local control and bar eminent domain for utility-scale solar

A group of Eastern Shore residents and local officials told the Economic Matters Committee on Thursday that state solar siting policies should not be pursued at the expense of large-scale agriculture and private property rights.

The witnesses pressed two main points: they want stronger local control over where utility-scale solar can be built and want to prohibit the use of eminent domain to acquire farmland for solar projects. "Property rights are very important to the folks that we serve," one Eastern Shore testifier said, adding that while local delegates and counties are not opposed to solar, they want to "make sure that we trust the work that they've already done" at the county and planning levels.

The testimony came during hearings on House Bill 739 and related measures. Commenters described agriculture on Maryland's Eastern Shore as a multibillion-dollar industry that supports thousands of jobs. One testifier said the regional agricultural economy…