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North Carolina Town Rejects Solar Farm, Says They ‘Suck Up All The Energy From The Sun’

By Jean Mendoza
Published on: 14:28 PST, Dec 13, 2015

When it comes to solar power, most can only say good things, but a North Carolina town raised its concerns when a solar company proposed to build a solar farm near their location.

As reported by the Independent UK, Woodland, North Carolina, residents had their fears over Strata Solar Company’s idea to build a solar farm off Highway 258, saying that they fear the solar panels would “suck up all the energy from the sun.”

It was during a Town Council Meeting that citizens voiced their opinions on the matter. One of the citizens, Mary Hobbs, who has been living in Woodland for 50 years, said that the presence of solar farms in the area has made her community into a ghost town. Aside from no job opportunities for the young people, homes are also devalued because of their proximity to the solar farms. Strata Solar Company isn’t the first one to propose building a solar farm in Woodland, North Carolina.

As Roanoke-Chowan News Herald reports, previous proposals to build solar farms in the area, three to exact, have already been approved. As a mater of fact, one of them is currently putting up their solar panels. One of the main reasons why Woodland, North Carolina is a good choice is because it has an electric substation where the panels can be connected to an electrical grid.

Another resident, retired Science teacher Jane Mann, said that her concern is regarding the plants in the area. She said that she is concerned that the solar farm would stop the process of photosynthesis of plants in the area, which will mean that they will stop growing. Mann also said that she has already seen it happen, as there are areas near solar panels where plants are either dead or brown because of the lack of sunlight. Ms. Mann does not only have concern for the plants, she is also worried about the increasing number of cancer deaths in the community.

During the Town Council Meeting, the concerns of the citizens were heard, and a spokesperson for Strata explained that there are no negative effects brought by building a solar farm.

“There are no negative impacts. A solar farm is a wonderful use for a property like this. The panels don’t draw additional sunlight.”

According to reports, the town will not benefit from the solar farms proposed b Strata, as the location is not within the town limits. However, the town will be receiving $7,000 annually. The money will be used to train the town’s fire department, in case something goes wrong with the solar panels.

Despite the explanation, their proposal was still rejected, with a three-to-one vote. The council also voted for a moratorium on future solar panels.

News of the rejection of the solar farm hit social media, and people had mixed reactions regarding the matter.

[Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images]

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