State lawmakers heard competing testimony Monday on a bill that would require solar farm developers to shield their projects from public view.
Sen. David Haggan said his bill aims to protect the Maine's scenic beauty by requiring some form of barrier around large arrays of solar panels. The Hampden Republican also told members of the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee that the measure will protect the views and property values of neighbors of solar energy developments that can cover dozens of acres of land.
"This bill doesn't say how the solar fields have to be hidden," said Haggan. "It could be a line of trees or bushes, a mural or a fence. But now matter what is chosen, you can basically guarantee that it will be more attractive than a, than a field of solar panels."
But Rob Wood, director of the Bureau of Land Resources at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection testified that the agency already has the ability to regulate the visual impacts of solar farms. For instance, existing rules allow the department to require vegetative screens in some cases.
Wood also says those impacts are very site-specific and Haggan's bill presumes that solar farms have a larger visual impact than other types of development.
"We have to look at whether the development is compatible with the existing uses in the area," Wood said. "If it's in a pretty developed area already, a vegetative screen might not be necessary to allow for that project to fit in with the surrounding environment. If it's a more rural area, that might be necessary."
The Maine State Chamber of Commerce also testified against the bill, arguing that such decisions are best handled at the local level. Some municipalities have adopted local ordinances dealing with siting and visual impacts of solar farms.
Solar farms are popping up in farm fields, on hillsides and along highways across the state in response to state incentives aimed at encourage development of the industry. But the facilities are not always embraced by neighbors. And there has been a robust debate in Augusta for several years about the cost that electric ratepayers are paying to subsidize the industry through the controversial "net energy billing" program.
Haggan's proposal is one of dozens filed this legislative session by both supporters and critics of Maine's fast-growing solar industry. Haggan said he has solar panels on his hunting camp and supports the technology but believes some large solar farms are spoiling the natural beauty of areas.
