A grassroots effort to put recent solar siting legislation on the ballot as a referendum ultimately fell short of the signatures needed. But the swift mobilization among rural and agricultural regions across Maryland is indicative of continued discontent at the way renewable energy goals have been translated into public policy.
The Renewable Energy Certainty Act (RECA) was signed into law by Governor Moore on May 20th, the last possible day for bills to be signed. Farmers Alliance for Rural Maryland, a nascent agricultural organization which formed earlier this year, initiated a campaign to collect the required 20,000 signatures needed to initiate a ballot referendum. In a matter of days, thousands of signatures were collected from every county in the state. Hundreds of people, representing a surprisingly diverse section of our region, signed petitions circulated by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy.
Across the globe, the extensive footprint of solar installations has clashed with farmland protection. Maryland is blessed with significant prime farmland, which is the most fertile and versatile soil for food production. These very lands have been prioritized for preservation by the state through the establishment of formally designated Priority Protection Areas and form the backbone of many rural economies in the state. But the RECA requires a percentage of these valuable farm acres be converted to industrial infrastructure before any local decision-making control can be reasserted.
The solar industry has sought legislative fixes to support the development of their industry and their input is sought after and considered. Agriculture, as the largest commercial industry in the state, more than deserves a seat at the same table. Rural representation and inclusion in decision-making can build a foundation for a clean energy future that serves everyone equitably. That, fundamentally, is what the petition for a solar ballot initiative, was all about.
Conservation should be a key tenant of efforts to ensure a more sustainable future in Maryland and that should include robust protection for precious natural resources like prime farm soils. The latest legislative session in Annapolis accelerated solar development in priority protection areas while simultaneously slashing the budget for farmland protection programs, sending a clear signal that preserving important farmland is not a priority. The grassroots petition drive and the passion behind it also sent a clear signal that Maryland is far from equitably addressing solar siting.
