Summary: The Montgomery County Planning Board voted to send their recommendation to deny a solar project (full video here) (Chaberton Sugarloaf in Dickerson) (known as a mandatory referral) to the MD Public Service Commission (PSC) on 1/9. Their decision reasoned that the project proposed to occupy Class II prime farm soil and generate over 2 mw conflicting with county zoning. Much credit goes to the nearly 100 supporters who wrote quick letters to support the denial and strong testimony from Montgomery County Farm Bureau and Sugarloaf Citizens’ Association.
The State PSC is the ultimate deciding body and can still approve the project over MoCo objections. MCA and partner groups have intervened in the PSC proceeding to advocate for continued protection of the Reserve’s prime purpose – agriculture, and denial of the project as submitted.
After the Planning Board vote on 1/9 (3-2), Board members engaged in broader discussion that revealed troubling misperceptions of the Agricultural Reserve, its history and success, agrivoltaics, the position of the MC Office of Agriculture, and why solar has been slow to gain approval in our electrical service area.
Chaberton Energy has applied directly to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) for two large solar projects of 3-4 mw facilities in the Reserve - almost entirely on on prime farm soils in contradiction to the County’s zoning provisions. Much more about the Sugarloaf and Ramire proposals here.
The project proceeds at the PSC, MCA with partners have been granted intervenor status and we are mounting a defense of prime soils and our master plan.
Bonus: Misconceptions at the Planning Board
The ZTA is the factor preventing solar projects - false
At the 1/9 hearing the Planning Board discussed whether and how to ask the Council to revisit the zoning provision for solar in the Reserve - ZTA 20-01 – with several board members arguing that only two projects being built in the Reserve since 2021 is cause for opening all prime soils to the industrial use.
The Planning department's own report (p.9) in December 2023 identified that zoning is not the central issue holding back construction of new arrays. Instead, a long waitlist for interconnection with the utility and grid operator are the largest hurdles to making proposed arrays a reality.
In fact PJM - the grid operator for much of the Mid-Atlantic - has the most severe backlog of new generation projects of any grid operator in the country - "projects entering the queue today have little chance of coming online before 2030."
All the same, more projects are being proposed through the county's conditional use process - including on sub-prime soils in Barnesville.
Agrivoltaics make this an Accessory to Farming - false
In the September 5 public hearing the planning board had asked the applicant, Chaberton Energy, to come up with an agrivoltaics plan. Their draft request for proposals (RFP) is here.
The RFP visions that farmers might grow crops in the 7 feet between arrays and harvest them by hand. Water might be available - it might not be and no plants can be over 2.5' high. It is clear that farming is an afterthought here - an opportunity to say that farming opportunities were offered but no farmers were able to meet the criteria of what becomes the industrial use supplanting agriculture.
The RFP says that this offer of free "farmland" in 7-foot strips will make a difference for the large number of farmers seeking affordable land. All while Chaberton is seeking approval for a project that takes prime soils out of farming for at least a generation in conflict with the master plan and drives up the cost of other unencumbered farmland that might have been available for these producers. (Check out our Land Link program to see local farmers seeking long term leases).
What do Ag Reserve farmers think about agrivoltaics? The Office of Ag says local farmers, like many, are seeking more data before embracing farming under solar arrays. OAGs thoughts about the Agrivoltaic RFP here. The office wants to be clear that the office did not help draft the plan or sign off on the project in any way.
MCA and colleagues have repeatedly asked that the County invest in a full-fledged agrivoltaics demonstration project on county land that can provide key data on whether compatibility of table crop and livestock production and solar arrays in our specific growing conditions.
Board member Hedrick said, “ we're talking about allowing a use on the AG Reserve that's a better use than anything that's currently going on on the acreage that's being proposed. Right here no one's talking about taking anything [sic] think about offering up an option for use of the AG Reserve which is inarguably both economically and environmentally a better use than most of it's currently put to.”
This view represents a lack of knowledge of the agricultural production, supporting businesses, and ecological services that serve in the Reserve.
- Solar info session recording - Some proposals are working within the master plan to balance farming and solar generation - the two Chaberton proposals are not. We spoke with stakeholders about where solar stands in the Reserve in November 2024
- Interested in solar on your farm, business or home - check out our info session with the MoCo Green Bank
MCA is leading the charge to balance solar production and protection of farmland in the Ag Reserve- this local focus relies on local support - we'd be honored by your tax deductible gift.