It’s Not Easy Going Green: Episode 3
WA’s sunny, rural center has attracted big solar energy investment. As farmers reckon with a changing economic landscape, some don’t like what they see.
Dave Robert, left, and his brother Robin at their family’s longtime ranch, named Robert 5+1, on the edge of Benton County in Sunnyside on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. The ranch, where they run cattle and sheep as well as farm wheat and alfalfa, has been in the family for over 100 years. However, the water table has subsided in recent years, making farming more challenging, and the family is eager to lease about half of their land to develop what would be one of the state’s largest solar projects, allowing the Robert family to maintain ownership of the ranch. (Emree Weaver for Cascade PBS)
One group with a loud voice in the debate over renewable energy development in Washington is farmers. Since so many of these conflicts are rooted in land-use decisions, a major question remains: Should the state prioritize land for agriculture or energy development?
Brandon Block explains how some farmers believe these new energy facilities could threaten their way of life, while others are surviving by leasing land to a solar developer.
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Finally, Block speaks with a researcher who helps design conflict-reduction maps. The hope is that better advance planning can help address all of these dueling priorities – including the looming climate crisis.
Read Block’s investigation here.
