Excellent story by Carolina Journal’s Dan Way about the tensions and conflicts that occur in some rural areas when some landowners want to lease their property to be used as solar farms.

Hugh Steele of Winston-Salem owns a 60-acre farm he inherited from family members. It adjoins the property of Charles and Patricia Crenshaw of Mooresville, the second family hoping to lease to Cypress Creek Renewables.

“I grew up over there,” Steele said. “I’d go down there fishing for what they call horny heads,” a chub in the minnow family.

Solar developers approached Steele about five years ago to lease his property. He refused because a solar panel array would not fit the look and feel of the community. He has helped organize neighborhood meetings and opposition to the Cypress Creek Renewables solar facility.

“That solar farm is going to be larger than Epcot Center in Florida,” Steele said. He and his daughter testified against issuing Cypress Creek Renewables a special use permit at a Dec. 21 zoning board meeting.

Be sure to read the full story about what’s occurring in rural North Carolina.