North Carolina town renounces solar — for some strange reasons
The town of Woodland, NC recently achieved fame in the world of solar power and renewable energy — but for the wrong reasons.
A recent article from The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald brought fame to the small town of Woodland — population less than 1000 — after the town rejected a rezoning proposal that would have allowed the construction and use of a solar farm.
It’s not the rejection itself that is noteworthy here, but rather the reasons for the rejection.
The following list is referenced directly from the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald article:
- One resident expressed concern that vegetation around the solar panels wouldn’t receive enough sunlight and would die.
- The same resident also noted that no one can confirm that solar panels don’t cause cancer.
- Another resident said that “the solar farms would suck up all the energy from the sun.”
Representatives from the solar panel company explained that panels don’t draw additional sunlight and that there would be no toxic materials on site, but to no avail.
According to the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, part of the reason for the proposal of the solar farm in Woodland is due to the town’s proximity to an electrical substation. Any power generated by the panels at a solar farm could thus be added to the electrical grid.