There will be a Public Service Commission Hearing held in Chestertown Tuesday January 19th at 7pm at the Holiday In Express concerning the approval of a solar power generation facility being installed in the Massey area.
The following is a position paper by Keep Kent Scenic outlining the groups general support for solar, assuming projects comply with Kent County regulations.
Keep Kent Scenic (KKS) is supportive of renewable energy, believing that solar energy, as opposed to wind turbines, is the preferred source to allow Kent County to contribute to this energy generation. Utility solar energy plants are, we believe, more in keeping with the rural nature and scale of the county. Kent County needs to find a way to increase the probability of solar development, which may mean revisiting current zoning rules to open up more opportunity while not adversely affecting historical, cultural, agricultural preservation or growth.
On agricultural preservation in particular, the conversion of prime highly productive agricultural land, which generally includes Class I and II soils, to solar development may provide income to the landowner. It should be recognized, however, that the conversion from agricultural use reduces the ancillary income generated to multiple other stakeholders in the county such as implement dealers, seed merchants, fertilizer suppliers, farm workers, etc. – all of which have a positive impact on the county’s tax receipts. Solar development on prime agricultural land may therefore have an overall negative economic impact on the county.
Currently there are two projects being proposed in the County that adhere to current zoning and have obtained or expect to obtain approval from the Kent County Planning and Zoning Commission. OneEnergy Blue Star and Massey Solar have gone through the process of submitting site plans that meet current zoning requirements of the County.
Having observed that it is possible for solar development to adhere to local zoning, Keep Kent Scenic is therefore supportive of any development proposal of solar energy projects in Kent County that are compatible with county zoning and adhere to the following principles:
1. All projects should comply with local zoning. Solar projects that are proposed for Kent County should meet all zoning and land use guidelines approved by the Kent County Planning and Zoning Commission and Kent County Commissioners. Although projects must be approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to receive approval for operation of a power plant, it is Keep Kent Scenic’s Position that the PSC should respect county guidelines in its decisions and that the County Commissioners should intervene to protect the County’s interest if there are disputed issues with local zoning. This includes, but is not limited to, the provisions in the Maryland Forest Conservation Act (FCA) as addressed in Kent County’s Comprehensive Plan. All requirements for setbacks and screening must also be adhered to and these regulations should take into account a detailed and thoughtful approach to design in a way that allows as little disruption to the current view shed and as much contribution to habitat as possible. The use of vegetation that is indigenous to Kent County, increases natural habitat and which fulfills height and density requirements for screening should be the standard.
2. Site-specific evaluations should be part of the planning. The development of solar power projects in Kent County should be balanced against competing land uses that have equal or greater priority, such that each project will need to be evaluated based on its location in the county, and the zoning of the land where the project is proposed.
3. Development of non-productive farmland should be the first priority for energy use. Land within the county that is non-arable which is not productive for farmland or not needed to expand villages and towns to maintain density and resist sprawl should be the first land used for solar installation.
4. Land that has conservation easements should not be used for solar plants. Land that has been preserved through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) should be prohibited from utility-scale solar development. MALPF’s current approved exception of installation of solar for on farm use of power generation (behind the meter) being acceptable and encouraged.
5. All projects should be with an eye to economic benefits to Kent County. As there are few to no long-term jobs or income accruing to residents of Kent County from solar energy plants, Kent County and its residents receive few to no economic benefits from the installation of such projects. Specific zoning procedures and/or taxation instruments need to be considered that will bring income to the county appropriate to the economic value of such projects to the developer.
6. Projects need to be developed in a way to allow the land to revert back to agricultural use when the life of the project is complete. Development of a solar project should be designed in such a way that it will be possible to return the land to agricultural use when the life of the solar project has expired. Without special protections, it is possible that the land could revert to some other non- agricultural use.
7. Adopt a planning policy toward solar that increases land put into conservation. Should Kent County adopt new zoning regulation to open up more build-out space for solar plants, we urge that the regulation include a policy for mitigating the loss of prime farmland, by putting farmland into conservation easement. We would propose a 3:1 ratio for Class I and II soils. There are many farmers waiting for conservation easements within districts in Kent County where money is not available to complete the process; mitigation could help to provide more funds for this need and redress the economic impact of withdrawing farmland from production, insuring agriculture preservation for the future. It is felt that this program could be administered through non-profits such as the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy or the State MALPF program within Kent County.
8. Set limits on the amount of land converted to energy use. A limit on the size of parcels and the overall amount of the land that can be devoted to solar within the county must also be advanced if Kent County moves to change Agricultural Zoning to allow special exceptions to the current zoning ordinance (which currently expressly prohibits utility scale solar in the Agricultural District). Without a State policy governing appropriate land use issues for solar
development, a rural county like Kent risks having excessive farmland developed for this use. The best way to protect agricultural land is to have the state implement a policy, perhaps in the way New Jersey did, to protect farmland while still increasing the overall acceleration of solar development. New Jersey White Paper on Solar and Farmland.
9. Protect cultural and historical assets. All possible effort should be made to protect some of Kent County’s greatest assets, our historical and cultural heritage. No project should be approved if it cannot be integrated into the cultural landscape (including its natural qualities) in a thoughtful and meaningful way that does not impair the ability of residents and visitors alike to enjoy this important legacy. .
10. Promote community solar projects. We highly recommend solar projects that involve the community such as having an impact on their electric energy prices or local co-ownership so as to encourage compatible solar development and increase community participation and acceptance.
joe Diamond says
Who are these guys?
We saw and heard the herd, KEEP KENT SCENIC, assuming it might have been, even after the forests were cut down in the last centuries.We saw the SAVE KENT COUNTY signs. Where is this noise coming from now?
Agriculture is not pretty. Four percent of Kent County residents are involved in it. Are they also required to provide full employment for the vendors, inspectors and government entities that watch the crops grow? IF landowners can find a way to change the use of their land to eliminate carbon emissions, erosion, dust, noise, chemical runoff while making a profit for the first time without Farm Bill support who can ask them to not do it?
OR consider the other possibility ………..What bad thing would happen if in five years every squeare inch of agricultural land became solar panels? Job loss?…..No jobs now and agriculture has a history of cutting labor costs. Environmental damage?……The panels just sit there and hum. Sheep grazing among them control the weeds. Tax loss?….Do you operate a government just to have one or does the local government exist to administer needed functions.
There are many issues surrounding this topic but KEEP KENT SCENIC is no longer relevant the discussion…………the panels are scenic……hidden by shrubs……mixed with the few trees still standing after the local agricultural era.
Who are these guys and why should we listen to them?
Joe.