Surprising environmental impacts of solar in Wisconsin

Many farmers are choosing to integrate solar panels into their fields. Now a new analysis shows that decision can impact a lot more than energy costs and the climate. Putting solar panels on conventional farmland can actually change the environment where those panels are located–for the better. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Dr. Paul Mathewson, Clean WIsconsin Resouces for You: Integrating solar into conventional farmland can restore soil health, provide habitat for native pollinators and improve water quality by reducing sediment and fertilizer runoff into nearby waterways. According to Clean Wisconsin’s Solar Farm Impact Analysis: Solar farms that replace conventional row crops like corn and soybeans reduce sediment and phosphorus pollution runoff into nearby lakes, rivers and streams by 75-95%. When deep-rooted, perennial vegetation is planted among the panels, solar farms can increase soil carbon sequestration by 65%, and improve overall soil health. Planting perennial vegetation among the panels also improves wildlife habitat compared to existing cropland, including a 300% improvement in habitat quality for pollinators, which are in steep decline. Solar farms produce 100 times more net energy per acre than corn grown for ethanol and are a far more efficient use of land. To meet net-zero carbon emissions, Wisconsin only needs about 200,000 acres of land for solar, or about 15% of the 1.5 million acres of land currently devoted to ethanol production in our state. More to Explore: Analysis: Solar farms produce 100 times more energy than corn grown for ethanol