Mainebiz

V O L . X X X N O. X X I S E P T E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 2 4 22 F O C U S A U G U S TA / WAT E R V I L L E / C E N T R A L M A I N E himself. "Don't use the best cropland … to put these in if you've got a rocky slope with a southern exposure you could use instead. But the developers are going to have to put some work and money into declaring it and, you know, straightening it out so they can use it." He noted that he's a strong supporter of renewable energy, adding that he's in the process of adding solar to his own home. But several solar company owners expressed concern that the rules would now make it more expensive to develop projects in Maine, additional costs they warned would eventually be passed down to ratepayers. Chris Byers, the owner of Branch Renewable Energy, was among them, remarking at the hearing that the rule appeared to unfairly "cherry pick" on solar as a threat to farmland. He says timber harvesting or large home developments would not face similar compensation requirements despite not incorporating any dual-use agri- cultural features. "It's just strange that there's such targeted rulemaking of solar projects for this that will result in impact to a further loss of farmland," he says. "I believe that these projects offer the ability for these farms to stay under ownership by their original owners" while also earning alter- nate revenue streams. A Livermore Falls farm balances opportunities at sentiment is shared by Evelyn Norton. She and her sister co-own the Southern Farm in Livermore Falls, but ReVision Energy leases about 20 acres of the 135-acre farm for a solar array. (e developer connected Mainebiz with Norton for this article.) e bulk of that power goes toward local schools, but the income helps the family keep the rest of their acreage. Norton is against the compensation rules, saying the higher costs will "elimi- nate a lot of projects" from getting across the finish line and prevent other farms from earning a livable income. "You shouldn't have to be penalized for making that kind of decision of what you want to do with your land," she say. She's frustrated that housing develop- ments and other types of projects on farmland won't face the same financial mitigation requirement. But not all farmers appear to share Norton's concern. Heather Spalding, deputy director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, says the land-use mitigation fees would actually help reduce costs for farmers. She says that the reduction in farmland tied to solar developments are "driving up the value of existing farmland, driving up property taxes. Spalding did not respond to an inter- view request. "We recognize that farmers' wealth is tied up in the value of their land and, in some cases, farmers need access to that income from solar development … as they near retirement," Spalding said at the hearing. She added that the mitiga- tion fee "balances the opportunity" of solar development with protecting "the most valuable soils." B r i d g e t R e e d M o r a w s k i , a f r e e l a n c e w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e d i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z MORE INFO: MDF.ORG DEVELOPING LEADERS. DOING TRUSTED RESEARCH. BUILDING CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS. DRIVING MAINE'S LONG TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH. Yeah, that's us. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E We realize the farmers need this [additional revenue stream], but the way I look at it, all of their land is not prime, it's not going to fit into that category. — Rep. Scott Landry D-Chesterville/Farmington P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY In Livermore Falls, about 20 acres of Southern Farm's 135 total acres is leased to ReVision Energy.

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