A postcard led to roughly 300 acres of solar panels on Chris Barnhill’s land in Bladen County. Barnhill, a fourth-generation blueberry farmer, recalled the postcard asking if he had a high-voltage power line on his property, and if he’d be interested in leasing some of his land for solar development. Now, about nine years later, the land has been cleared and is leased to Cypress Creek Renewables. “It’s just amazing that you can take sunlight and make electricity from it,” Barnhill said. “That’s awesome.” As large solar farms continue to blossom across North Carolina, local officials and members of the General Assembly occasionally express concern that their installation means the loss of valuable farmland. A report released last week by the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association shows that there are 703 solar systems that generate at least a megawatt of power installed…
Solar energy is growing in N.C. but still occupies less farmland than you might think – The Virginian-Pilot
