Penn State Oct. 10 EarthTalks Lecture To Discuss Solar And Agriculture Land Use Competition

By Dave Blehi, Penn State News

In November 2018, Pennsylvania adopted a Solar Future Plan to increase the state’s solar energy generation 10% by the year 2030. This will require the use of large land areas that are often in competition with other uses, particularly agricultural production. 

This competition will put pressure on farmers and agricultural landowners to navigate the ethical and logistical tensions of integrating solar photovoltaics on their land, as well as how such projects will impact the broader community and landscape.

Kaitlyn Spangler, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geography at Penn State, will deliver the talk "Towards solar justice in Pennsylvania: tensions of land, farming, and power" at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 10. 

The talk, which is free and open to the public, takes place in 112 Walker Building and via Zoom.  

Click Here to join the presentation.

Spangler’s talk is part of the fall 2022 EESI EarthTalks series, “Exploring the Multiple Dimensions of Solar Energy.” 

Using both a local and global scope, the series addresses the latest perspectives on policies, environmental management, and the technological advancements toward the dual use, and social and cultural implications, of solar energy.

The EESI EarthTalks series is supported by Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. Talks also are available via Zoom. 

Visit the fall 2022 EarthTalks webpage to learn more.

(Photo: Penn State University solar farm in Franklin County.)

(Reprinted from Penn State News.)

NewsClips:

-- Williamsport Sun: Interest In Solar Power Projects Growing Statewide, Including Lycoming County

-- Bay Journal: Community Solar Energy Projects Slowly Expand In The Chesapeake Bay Region [Except In Pennsylvania Where Legislation Is Needed] - By Ad Crable

-- Inquirer: A Few Philly-Area Churches Are Going Solar, New Tax Incentives Make It Easier For Others

-- Bloomberg: Solar Energy Now 33% Cheaper Than Natural Gas Power In U.S.

-- CNN: This 100% Solar Community In Florida Hit Head-On By Hurricane Ian Had No Loss Of Power, Minimal Damage

Related Articles This Week:

-- DCNR Announces Guidance For Planners Seeking To Generate Clean Renewable Energy Through Grid-Scale Solar Installations  [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center: New Federal Climate, Energy Law Makes Flipping The Switch To Go Solar For Homeowners, Businesses Well Within Reach - By Sharon Pillar, Executive Director PA Solar Center  [PaEN]

[Posted: October 5, 2022]  PA Environment Digest