The Green Energy movement is a very complex issue. On one hand, willing land owners are being compensated for Wind and Solar generating complexes being sited upon their lands. It appears to many as a windfall, perhaps it is not.
The Yakima County Farm Bureau (YCFB) has been involved with commenting on several proposals being conveniently called Solar Farms. Our County FB prefers the term “Solar Industrial Complex” as we believe it is a far more accurate description.
But YCFB has also found the energy issue to be far more complex and multifaceted than just solar energy and the land use controversy surrounding it.
The real issue which is more pertinent is what is the sustainability of agriculture itself …. ie. our very existence?
While the “Green New Deal” as it is known in Washington DC advocates adding renewable generating sources like wind and solar. It is also forcing people towards using electricity for home and industrial energy needs along with our entire transportation sector, thus overloading the electric grid. Also the plan is to eliminate many traditional power generation sources such as coal, gas, some hydro and nuclear.
This is not only absurd and reckless, it is going to lead to an epic disaster!
Simply put, electricity will be in short supply, unreliable and priced out of the reach of farmers to use for irrigation when the current folly (The Green New Deal) becomes established. We will not need to worry about electric trucks not making it to market with wilting crops on board BECAUSE crops will be very scarce in the first place!
YCFB Comments And Correspondence Regarding Energy Issues
Industrial Solar Complexes
The oval shapes with text and acreages in the above map are not a precise depiction of the actual solar complex boundary. In reality, the actual layout will more closely resemble a complete encirclement of the town of Goldendale and it’s surrounding Suburb area.
This is an aerial photo of the Lund Hill Solar Complex after the Newel Road Fire nearly burned the installation.
If you look closely, you can see orange/red residue on the solar panels in areas closest to where the fire approached. The amount of fire suppression exerted to protect the solar complex was unprecedented. If Lund Hill was not situated there, those resources could and should have been allocated to saving more ranches and farms and would have provided a better defense to the town of Bickelton which was in a stage 3 “Leave Now” order for quite some time.
In the event the solar complex had caught on fire, the Fire Boss was going to evacuate his fire fighters due to toxic smoke concerns.
On this basis alone, do large Solar complexes situated in wildfire prone areas make any sense?
Dam Breaching
Carbon Tax and Electric Vehicle Mandates
The YCFB addressing the importance of maintaining low energy costs.
YCFB Opposing Electric Vehicle Mandates