QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, Md. — A proposed solar project near Centreville is drawing opposition from local leaders and conservation advocates who say the development could impact productive farmland and land designated for future growth.
The proposal calls for three solar facilities on more than 74 acres near the Route 301 corridor. The project is currently under review by the Maryland Public Service Commission.
Jay Falstad, executive director of the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association argues the state approval process gives communities less input than they once had.
“A lot of these solar projects no longer have to go through a local authority,” Falstad said. “They go directly to the Public Service Commission. And by doing so, you're disenfranchising all of the people that live in an area.”
Falstad says he supports renewable energy but believes the project is proposed in the wrong location.
“I'm not opposed to solar. I think solar is a great thing. We have to do something to help address climate change,” Falstad said. “But we should not be putting solar panels on productive agricultural land. This is food producing land that we can use for the future.”
Carol Bean of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy has also raised concerns about the proposal and its potential impact on future land use planning.
“We really want to see some local decision making restored,” Bean told WBOC.
Bean says preserving high-quality farmland should remain a priority as Maryland expands renewable energy production.
“It's a precious natural resource that cannot be — you can't make more of it,” Bean said. “If we're not careful about how we site solar on things like prime farmland, it can have some real long-term consequences.”
The company behind the proposal, TurningPoint Energy, says the project would provide benefits to the community while helping Maryland meet its renewable energy goals.
In a statement to WBOC, the company said, in part:
“This type of project represents a reasonable interim use that preserves the land, maintains flexibility for the future, and does not preclude other uses down the line.”
The Maryland Public Service Commission will ultimately determine whether the project moves forward. No construction timeline has been announced.
