By a 4-3 count, the Kent County Levy Court voted to reject an application to site a 100-megawatt solar power plant on approximately 500 acres of farmland off Lighthouse Road, near Smyrna. This is a rare and long overdue defeat for the solar interests.
Public comment was taken from in-person and virtual attendees, with the overwhelming majority strongly against the proposal because of their love of nature. Psychologists refer to the human dependency and fascination with the natural world as biophilia, which translates to “love of life.” According to Psychology Today, it is “an innate, biologically-driven need to interact with other forms of life such as animals and plants.” This explains why the emotion expressed by those in opposition to the proposal was so heartfelt, with men and women on the verge of tears. It is likely that emotion was also the reason four commissioners voted to reject the loss of agricultural land.
The love of nature and the traditions of farming life are excellent reasons to oppose siting an industrial solar power plant on land targeted for conservation. However, the overarching public policy reason to oppose solar installations is that intermittent — and therefore, unreliable — electricity cannot power an industrial society. The Kent County Levy Court commissioners and the agricultural community must learn why intermittent service threatens the supply of electricity. Ordinances that deny land-use applications for industrial solar deployments can then be enacted to help assure a reliable supply of electricity. This is the best course of action until the Delaware General Assembly recognizes the perils of subsidizing unreliable solar and wind electricity generation, which has caused an almost Wild West rush to turn farmland into unending rows of solar panels.
These changes in policies will take time and perhaps new leadership in Delaware. Until then, the Kent County commissioners must act to protect the welfare of the communities they are duty bound to serve, as they are the form of government closest to the people.
John A. Nichols
Clayton
