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Resident warns proposed solar platform could harm farmland, food production
Summary
At the June 28 York County commissioners meeting, resident Jim Jackson urged caution about a proposed solar platform, saying repeated storm damage and loss of productive acres could undermine local food production and livestock winter feed.
Jim Jackson, a Fairmont resident who spoke during the public forum, urged commissioners to consider the agricultural risks of a proposed solar platform on county farmland.
"Most of that area that I'm aware of...has been hit at least three times in the last 20 years by tornadoes and it would have destroyed quite a few of their structure," Jackson said, arguing that removing thousands of acres for solar panels would reduce land available to grow feed. He warned changes to the land could take "five, 10 years or more" for grass and soil to recover.
Jackson framed his remarks around food security and long-term land stewardship, saying county decisions should weigh both renewable-energy goals and the livelihoods of local farmers who use crop residues to winter cattle. He told commissioners the county must account for local conditions — including weather events — when evaluating large-scale solar proposals.
The board did not take action on a specific solar proposal during the meeting; Jackson's comments were entered during the public-forum section.
