Massive Nevada Solar Farm on BLM

[mtmiller]

You can't raise livestock or grow anything within the solar fields being built in the midwest. They are all perimeter fenced to keep critters out and the panels are spaced too closely to allow any type of agriculture plantings. They also spray the heck out of the areas with weed and brush control chemicals.

Dude, I am not a big advocate on large solar farms or expansive coal mines on public land. Just pointing out the obvious that a coal fired power station is a larger footprint than were the facility sits, as suggested by the earlier poster. Door swings both ways, and I understand that as well. I do not buy into the solar=bad and coal=good, at least that is how I am interpreting your comments. Am I getting it wrong?

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=solar+farm+livestockgrazing

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=solar+farm+crops

 

[Nick87]

No mines with solar? are you aware how they get the materials to build the solar panels.....

I'm not, but I'd like to know?

 

[SAJ-99]

The old reclaimed coal mine pits in my home state are some of the finest hunting and fishing areas in the state.
I spend a lot of time at the strip pits in the spring fishing and mushroom hunting.

Agree. Illinois has a lot of old coals pits filled with water. However, to call them "reclaimed" would be generous for most of the them. They were empty long before the EPA or any regulations existed. They just filled with water and then some guys at the local bar said "let's put fish in there". In a 1000 years maybe some archeologist will discovered the half-cut metal barrels that carried the fish and old PBR pull-tab cans at the bottom of the lake and try to piece together what happened. My view would be the comparison is tough because what you are looking at is a "reclaimed" area vs a producing solar field. What would a reclaimed solar field look like? Too soon to tell.

Any comparison quickly evolves to spinning down the "what-about-ism" rabbit hole. There are so many inputs to any electric source. Look at the debate on taking down dams to help salmon. It isn't just about electrical production. Some dams, especially those in coal country, hold back what is essentially toxic sludge at the bottom.

 

[Nick87]

We have no coal mines locally. But we do have other hard surface mines. I've wooed in them the first 20 or so years of my life. Everybody thinks mine and they picture a leaking oil can next to a river. This has not been my personal experience at all. With that said these are probably way different than coal ornigher mineral mines in the west maybe? So I don't claim to compare the two. However once we reclaim them they make very hood habitat for wildlife. There are so many solar fields going up around here where there was once tons of wildlife are completely void. Plenty other places to put them other than non developed areas. There is a nuclear plant about 35 min from here pretty small footprint unless I'm missing something.

 

[Nick87]

a 1000 years maybe some archeologist will discovered the half-cut metal barrels that carried the fish and old PBR pull-tab cans at the bottom of the lake and try to piece together what happened.

Did you see the barrels and garbage or is this just a common assumption like I mentioned in my post above? Serious question.

 

[Bonasababy]

You can't raise livestock or grow anything within the solar fields being built in the midwest. They are all perimeter fenced to keep critters out and the panels are spaced too closely to allow any type of agriculture plantings. They also spray the heck out of the areas with weed and brush control chemicals.

Not accurate. They are grazing sheep under them in several places I know of, and someone I know is the process of installing for a cattle operation. He sees great potential for cattle to go well with them. There's a whole new group of folks getting into solar/grazing. https://solargrazing.org/

How Sheep Keep Solar Farms Out of the Shade

‘Solar grazing’ around panels is providing a lifeline to the US shepherding sector as clean energy expands.

www.bloomberg.com

We have a local system going up on publicly owned land that will be using short prairie species underneath raised panels, so there will be pollinator benefits. Much less maintenance need that way too.

 

[Archer86]

Domestic Sheep ain't wildlife find a solar field with good wildlife and then let's see if you can hunt it I am guessing not. if it's done on private that's there own choice but installing 620000 acres on public is not cool

 

[ropeup79]

Not accurate. They are grazing sheep under them in several places I know of, and someone I know is the process of installing for a cattle operation. He sees great potential for cattle to go well with them. There's a whole new group of folks getting into solar/grazing. https://solargrazing.org/

How Sheep Keep Solar Farms Out of the Shade

‘Solar grazing’ around panels is providing a lifeline to the US shepherding sector as clean energy expands.

www.bloomberg.com

We have a local system going up on publicly owned land that will be using short prairie species underneath raised panels, so there will be pollinator benefits. Much less maintenance need that way too.

I’m glad that works in places that get rain but we’re talking about Nevada. Also, most of the truly industrial solar systems put their panels much closer together. Rare/heritage breed sheep with un-docked tails equals hippies/hobby farmers.

 

[BigHornRam]

I’m glad that works in places that get rain but we’re talking about Nevada. Also, most of the truly industrial solar systems put their panels much closer together. Rare/heritage breed sheep with un-docked tails equals hippies/hobby farmers.

Just wait till the woolies start nibbling on wires! Going be a fire sale on mutton.

 

[ropeup79]

Just to be clear I’m not 100% against solar. I think as a supplemental energy source it has a place. I’m also not familiar with where this particular solar system is located. If it’s 62K acres of salt flats it could be a good use of the land. I also think we’d be foolish to believe that a solar energy company wouldn’t be just as greedy/profit minded as some oil company. When the investors and CEO’s get their money and the production vs maintenance costs start getting closer together, they’ll let the company go bankrupt and the state will pay to reclaim the site with our tax dollars.

 

[BuzzH]

Domestic Sheep ain't wildlife find a solar field with good wildlife and then let's see if you can hunt it I am guessing not. if it's done on private that's there own choice but installing 620000 acres on public is not cool

So unless you can hunt it, then there's no wildlife value? You must really hate those pesky landowners that don't let you hunt, wildlife seems to feel differently though.

 

[SAJ-99]

Did you see the barrels and garbage or is this just a common assumption like I mentioned in my post above? Serious question.

The PBR is an assumption. I duck hunted a guy's property that had a couple of those on it and he told me that was exactly what they did. The strip mines that were "reclaimed" can be seen on satellite images that are near the Kankakee River. The water table is pretty high so it was impossible to keep water out. Voila! Reclaimed! There were no fish in them so the locals took care of that. Good fishing now. The Braidwood nuclear cooling lake is on top of an old strip mine. Nuclear has by far the smallest footprint for energy produced. Especially now that they are moving away from water cooling and to liquid salt.

 

[antlerradar]

Not accurate. They are grazing sheep under them in several places I know of, and someone I know is the process of installing for a cattle operation. He sees great potential for cattle to go well with them. There's a whole new group of folks getting into solar/grazing. https://solargrazing.org/

How Sheep Keep Solar Farms Out of the Shade

‘Solar grazing’ around panels is providing a lifeline to the US shepherding sector as clean energy expands.

www.bloomberg.com

We have a local system going up on publicly owned land that will be using short prairie species underneath raised panels, so there will be pollinator benefits. Much less maintenance need that way too.

If I owned a solar field, I would not put cattle in it.

 

[Archer86]

So unless you can hunt it, then there's no wildlife value? You must really hate those pesky landowners that don't let you hunt, wildlife seems to feel differently though.

Nope not at all I actuall enjoy just watching wildlife. But we are a on a hunting forum buzz unless your biden brain forgot that.....

Do what ever you want on private I don't care but to tie up 620000 acres of public land that will effectively be closed off to all access from the public how is that good for public land owners it will be a restricted access area guaranteed and some energy company will make millions off it all while it's the tax payers land Your inner BHA is pulling you in the wrong direction

 

[Nick87]

The PBR is an assumption. I duck hunted a guy's property that had a couple of those on it and he told me that was exactly what they did. The strip mines that were "reclaimed" can be seen on satellite images that are near the Kankakee River. The water table is pretty high so it was impossible to keep water out. Voila! Reclaimed! There were no fish in them so the locals took care of that. Good fishing now. The Braidwood nuclear cooling lake is on top of an old strip mine. Nuclear has by far the smallest footprint for energy produced. Especially now that they are moving away from water cooling and to liquid salt.

No doubt there are some like that. One my brother is reclaiming at the moment (not coal) will be a small lake and the other 50ish acres will be put back into crp or some kind of set aside. Maybe crops.

 

[BuzzH]

Nope not at all I actuall enjoy just watching wildlife. But we are a on a hunting forum buzz unless your biden brain forgot that.....

Do what ever you want on private I don't care but to tie up 620000 acres of public land that will effectively be closed off to all access from the public how is that good for public land owners it will be a restricted access area guaranteed and some energy company will make millions off it all while it's the tax payers land Your inner BHA is pulling you in the wrong direction

You need to drop a zero...It's 62k not 620K, big difference.

Try to keep up, I'm not in favor of large scale wind or solar, but you just can't seem to comprehend that. That's a problem for you to solve, I can't help you.

For the record many mine sites, oil, gas and coal mines areas on public lands are also off limits (some aren't)...but that only makes sense. Price we pay for a multiple use mandate and a country that is energy dependent. Same with wind and solar development.

You've offered no viable solutions, but you're doing great with the whining.

 

[Archer86]

You need to drop a zero...It's 62k not 620K, big difference.

Whoops missed that fat fingers I guess

[/QUOTE]
Try to keep up, I'm not in favor of large scale wind or solar, but you just can't seem to comprehend that. That's a problem for you to solve, I can't help you.
[/QUOTE]

you claim that yet everytime it comes up you argue how bad oil and gas is and try to implie that solar is somehow better

[/QUOTE]
For the record many mine sites, oil, gas and coal mines areas on public lands are also off limits (some aren't)...but that only makes sense. Price we pay for a multiple use mandate and a country that is energy dependent. Same with wind and solar development.
[/QUOTE]

A large number of oil and gas fields are open to public access I am sure you have utilized them many times antelope hunting in wyoming. ALL SOLAR FIELDS WILL BE RESTRICTED

[/QUOTE]
You've offered no viable solutions, but you're doing great with the whining.
[/QUOTE]

I just said I wasn't in favor of it if that's whining no doubt your a government employee

 

[Bonasababy]

Domestic Sheep ain't wildlife find a solar field with good wildlife and then let's see if you can hunt it I am guessing not. if it's done on private that's there own choice but installing 620000 acres on public is not cool

It wasn't your post I was replying to..
.

Domestic Sheep ain't wildlife find a solar field with good wildlife and then let's see if you can hunt it I am guessing not. if it's done on private that's there own choice but installing 620000 acres on public is not cool

Go back and read my reply and what I was responding to again...

 

[Archer86]

It wasn't your post I was replying to..

Don't care to be honest your in a thread about large solar fields on public land you are trying tie domestic sheep being allowed to graze between solar panels likes it's a good thing for wildlife and it's not

 

[Bonasababy]

Don't care to be honest your in a thread about large solar fields on public land you are trying tie domestic sheep being allowed to graze between solar panels likes it's a good thing for wildlife and it's not

Dead wrong, again!