Large-scale solar developments face rising hostility from neighboring property owners who cite concerns about environmental degradation, reduced property values, and loss of farmland.
In response to complaints from nearby landowners, Pennsylvania's Delaware County has temporarily halted applications for solar farms in the county. As reported by Stephanie Wiechmann, "Landowners say they are worried about declining property values, panels they call 'toxic' polluting well water, and taking active farm ground out of commission." Some landowners complain about solar panels blocking the view from their property.
To resolve the issue, any proposed changes to the county's solar ordinance—such as larger setbacks between solar farms and adjacent properties or fencing and safety requirements—will have to pass through the Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission at a February meeting.
Solar farms around the country face increasingly strong opposition from neighboring property owners as energy companies plan to build industrial-scale solar developments in more diverse regions to meet a growing demand for renewable energy.
FULL STORY: Delaware County approves temporary solar energy moratorium to address landowner concerns
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association