Fighting 'Solar Farm' Installation

[Peter 315]

So a farmer that is raising energy, using solar panels is ,,,, a farmer!

Yes he's harvesting the sun....lol

 

[WM75Guy]

I wish I knew for sure what some of the farmers in West Texas were getting in lease payments. But what I was told by someone that has a relative farming around the windmills is they made more money off the leases than they did from the crops.

I would think that it is close to correct as there is a lot of farmers taking advantage of the program. So if it benefits the farmer and it is his land he can do whatever he sees fit in my book. Hopefully they are doing well!

Our land near Midland is leased out for oil, gas, and wind. The land is farmed for cotton. There are 3 tracts, the left and right are 160-acre quarter sections, the center is 100 acres. There are 4 vertical well sites, with the right hand well drilled in 1965 being plugged last year. Those 4 wells easily made up for any loss in crop money. Plus royalty checks come in every month whereas crops are not guaranteed. The move is to horizontal wells. There are currently 33 wells being developed under our properties and none of the infrastructure is on our land. We also get ROW payments whenever a new pipeline is laid on the property, usually along the road frontage. After the pipeline is laid the pipeline easements are still farmed. ROW payments can generate 10X annual crop payments.

Without getting into specifics, using the land for cotton production that is used for oil & gas would not generate 1/1,000 of the income we get from oil, gas, and wind. The top left corner of the left hand property is not suitable for farming. We dig caliche out of it and sell to the drilling companies to make pad sites. One sale of caliche generates the same revenue as cotton production for the year.

 

[5030]

Michigan is about to vote on a bill that will prohibit any large solar installation on fertile farm ground. Hope it passes. Where we have our farm is very fertile ground, in fact about the best tillable ground in Michigan.

 

[K5lwq]

Our land near Midland is leased out for oil, gas, and wind. The land is farmed for cotton. There are 3 tracts, the left and right are 160-acre quarter sections, the center is 100 acres. There are 4 vertical well sites, with the right hand well drilled in 1965 being plugged last year. Those 4 wells easily made up for any loss in crop money. Plus royalty checks come in every month whereas crops are not guaranteed. The move is to horizontal wells. There are currently 33 wells being developed under our properties and none of the infrastructure is on our land. We also get ROW payments whenever a new pipeline is laid on the property, usually along the road frontage. After the pipeline is laid the pipeline easements are still farmed. ROW payments can generate 10X annual crop payments.

Without getting into specifics, using the land for cotton production that is used for oil & gas would not generate 1/1,000 of the income we get from oil, gas, and wind. The top left corner of the left hand property is not suitable for farming. We dig caliche out of it and sell to the drilling companies to make pad sites. One sale of caliche generates the same revenue as cotton production for the year.

View attachment 796461

That is inline with what I was told. Thanks for clarifying this!

 

[Hay Dude]

Our land near Midland is leased out for oil, gas, and wind. The land is farmed for cotton. There are 3 tracts, the left and right are 160-acre quarter sections, the center is 100 acres. There are 4 vertical well sites, with the right hand well drilled in 1965 being plugged last year. Those 4 wells easily made up for any loss in crop money. Plus royalty checks come in every month whereas crops are not guaranteed. The move is to horizontal wells. There are currently 33 wells being developed under our properties and none of the infrastructure is on our land. We also get ROW payments whenever a new pipeline is laid on the property, usually along the road frontage. After the pipeline is laid the pipeline easements are still farmed. ROW payments can generate 10X annual crop payments.

Without getting into specifics, using the land for cotton production that is used for oil & gas would not generate 1/1,000 of the income we get from oil, gas, and wind. The top left corner of the left hand property is not suitable for farming. We dig caliche out of it and sell to the drilling companies to make pad sites. One sale of caliche generates the same revenue as cotton production for the year.

View attachment 796461

I think that’s great.
It sucks that farming can’t pay enough so that one isn’t required to have off farm work or income.
But having the option to cover 100 acres with solar panels is better than starving for income. I make more income off farm than I do commercial farming.
We see lots of farmers going under. We drove through Virginia a few months ago and saw many farms for sale and farm equipment liquidations.

 

[TIMMYDUCK]

How is that a plus for you?

They add money to our town coffers but use no town services of any kind .

If the solar farm hadn’t gone in , it would have been 500 single family homes with 2.3 children each .

 

[Hay Dude]

They add money to our town coffers but use no town services of any kind .

If the solar farm hadn’t gone in , it would have been 500 single family homes with 2.3 children each .

Hmmmm
Solar farm or 500 houses??????

I’d probably be happier with the solar farm, than the houses, too.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Yesterday I saw a bunch of ugly houses going up in what used to be a nice field.

 

[MossRoad]

Seems like this thread has gone off the rails. What does all this hay/farming talk have to do with solar panels?

Hay is solar energy.

 

[bnold]

Do you find that fair to others who are subsidizing your array?

About as fair as the thousands of other subsidies/handouts I don’t agree with.

But thanks for your contribution. Our shared array produced about 20MWh on my shop roof last year. Thinking of 2nd install this year.

 

[bnold]

Hmmmm
Solar farm or 500 houses??????

I’d probably be happier with the solar farm, than the houses, too.

Rare we agree, but I’m 1000% with you on that one!

 

[turbo36]

Michigan is about to vote on a bill that will prohibit any large solar installation on fertile farm ground. Hope it passes. Where we have our farm is very fertile ground, in fact about the best tillable ground in Michigan.

So you are in favor of a law that would deprive an individual from using his property as he wishes?
Isn’t that an example of the “deep state” taking over?

 

[/pine]

If it takes intellect to come to this conclusion I'm glad I don't have any.

It's obvious you don't....the world needs ditch diggers too...!

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

So a farmer that is raising energy, using solar panels is ,,,, a farmer!

Well well. If it is being raised because of the result of photosynthesis, (the suns rays) then solar panels must be correctly named a Solar "Farm"?

 

[/pine]

A farmer without a tractor.

Got three tractors...

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

It's obvious you don't....the world needs ditch diggers too...!

I believe what demonstrates mental health is for someone to admit when they're wrong. There are people who know everything, they're always right and their opinion is factual. They're known as schizophrenics.

 

[jyoutz]

I don't see how a hay farmer is not a real farmer??? They tend to the soil, plant the crop, maintain the crop, harvest the crop (several times a year around here), sell and/or use the crop, etc... what's different than, say, a corn or bean farmer?

Of course producing hay is farming. Their product is part of the dairy and beef production food chain.

 

[/pine]

I believe what demonstrates mental health is for someone to admit when they're wrong. There are people who know everything, they're always right and their opinion is factual. They're known as schizophrenics.

Not sure exactly what it is you (and others) don't understand about someone having an OPINION...
Obviously those that would argue with a blow up doll have no clue to the definition of the word...

I've LMAO at all the arguments...I know it's not funny laughing at people falling down stairs...but in this case it's hilarious...!

Now go look up the word "opinion"

 

[Bill Guenthner]

My state gets 3% of its’ energy from renewables and agriculture is our states #1 industry.
So I guess windmills and farming aren’t such a great fit.

Texas is projected to get almost 40% of its power this year from green sources, according to a US Energy Information Administration forecast. That trails California’s 52%, but because Texas is a bigger market, it’s produced more power from renewables (excluding hydropower) than any other state since 2014, EIA data show.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My opinion is pine "trees" are not a tree (yuk, yuk, yuk). My opinion is the Earth is flat and we never landed on the Moon.
I express my opinions because that's how my schizophrenic mind works.
I'm always right and can never say I'm wrong.