Misinformation and 'AI slop' are hamstringing rural solar development

A glut of misinformation and AI-generated graphics are jeopardizing the development of solar installations in rural America, writes Delaney Nolan in The Lens.

Scare tactics from the threat of cancer to poisoned farmland to homegrown tornadoes, almost all entirely unfounded, are prompting some communities to outlaw solar farms, eschewing sorely needed tax revenue and clean energy. "Rural parishes that may otherwise see little investment are reaping massive tax benefits by embracing solar projects, researchers at UL-Lafayette say. Even if solar facilities are granted massive tax exemptions, they’ll generate at least 40 times more local property tax than farmland."

The same generic AI-generated graphics warn "Once [state] is gone, there's no way to get it back" on online forums and Facebook groups. "The accounts have been linked to a network of “AI slop machine” accounts, per an analysis released earlier this month by the threat intelligence company Alethea."

In some places, where oil and gas exploration did cause damage, locals are understandably wary of new development on agricultural land. Experts are working to counter false claims with studies and research that shows that solar panels do not leach chemicals into the surrounding land and do not pose a fire hazard. Once built, solar projects "tend to sit quietly with very little activity, generating significant, steady, predictable stream of tax revenue."