Across New York State, a quiet crisis is unfolding. Under the guise of “progress” and advancing “clean” energy, radical policies out of Albany are enabling the industrialization of our pristine rural and agricultural landscapes with sprawling utility-scale solar developments.
 

How serious is the problem? According to research from Cornell University, 44% of existing solar projects in New York State have been built on land previously used for crops, pasture, or hay.
 

Even more concerning, 58% of these installations are located on high-quality soil classified as prime farmland. A drive through my rural district tells the story all too clearly: field after field of once-beautiful, productive farmland now smothered by rows of industrial steel and glass, stretching across the landscape like a graveyard for agriculture.

Read the full op-ed: https://www.thedailynewsonline.com/opinion/borrello-stop-sacrificing-our-farms-for-solar-sprawl/article_e27bbb85-53fa-41f0-8504-8a3392e177fd.html