“Farming the sun” or “coal legacy”? Social perspectives on solar energy projects in Appalachia

Abstract

Solar projects can provide economic benefits to landowning farmers and rural communities. But residents' concerns have spurred anti-solar local ordinances in some farming communities, including coal legacy communities. We interviewed 32 farmers and 16 nonfarmers in Appalachian counties in Pennsylvania and Maryland to understand their views on solar projects. The framework of place attachment provides a lens to understand these views. Farmers underscored their farming identity and their ethical obligations to protect farmlands, and rural residents expressed emotional ties to their farming communities and landscape. Generally, we find that supporters see solar leasing as a protector of farmland, by providing the financial means for farmers to continue farming and owning farmland. Conversely, opponents saw solar leasing as a threat to farmlands and rural communities by causing farmland loss, jeopardizing tenant farmers' livelihoods and marring the rural landscape. Farmers supportive of solar leasing explained the types of solar projects that better complement their place attachment, such as smaller-scale projects that fit into the rural landscape and community solar projects that reinforce shared community values. We find that these communities' fossil fuel legacies have varying effects, with some seeing solar projects as an opportunity to revitalize their communities and enabling place continuity, while a few see them as a threat to their coal heritage. Drawing on these findings, we discuss how understanding residents' views on solar projects regarding their place attachment can inform the design of state policies on solar.