"Taking care of Mother Earth is about every decision we make as a collective." - Re-Earth Initiative Co-Founder and Climate Justice Activist Xiye Bastida, 2020 TED Talk
Climate change is the most pressing issue that faces our planet. Melting ice caps and rising oceans, heatwaves, food insecurity and mass extinctions—in the absence of change, our fossil fuel-burning lifestyles threaten to upend the global order that has sustained us. As humans continue to pump heat-trapping gasses into the atmosphere, the situation becomes more dire, and more urgent. Luckily we already have both the knowledge and the means to halt the ascent of our planet’s temperature. Now, all we need is action. The Farmington Solar Project—and a nationwide renewable energy revolution—are key parts of the solution to the climate crisis. Solar energy offers hope for a better, more livable future—a future powered not by carbon-choked coal or petroleum, but by the reliable, radiant sun.
Benefits of solar energy
Zero heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions--will slow climate change
No noxious air pollution (no lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, etc)
We will never run out of sun power, unlike oil and coal
No need to continuously extract, transport, and burn fuels, saving money in the long run
Low-lying panels obscure fewer vistas than power plants or wind farms
We need a renewable energy revolution. To limit our global emissions impact to 1.5° C above preindustrial levels (the maximum temperature increase our planetary systems can likely handle, according to scientists), our civilization will need to be carbon-neutral in 30 years. To reach this goal, we must aggressively transition from fossil fuel-based sources of energy—coal, oil, natural gas—to renewables like wind, solar, and hydro-power. According to Project Drawdown, a comprehensive study of climate change solutions, increasing solar energy generation from 0.5 percent of the world’s total energy production to 10 percent by 2050 will save almost five trillion dollars—over 60 times more than such a change would cost to implement. However, increasing our solar energy production by this amount means we must ramp up construction of utility-scale facilities like the one on Sandy River Farm—and fast.
Why Solar for Farmington?
Farmington is a community focused on the future. With the construction of the Farmington Solar Project completed and online, Farmington has become a model for how communities can participate in the renewables revolution—without sacrificing the things that have made places like Farmington such desirable places to live. In fact, the opposite will happen: Farmington stands to gain immensely from this project for years to come. Over $100 million has been invested in these silicon fields, creating tax revenue, drawing students, and helping Farmington’s agricultural traditions to continue.
Benefits to Farmington
Created jobs for Maine with a workforce of approximately 180 construction workers as well as a few jobs lasting the period of the facility’s existence
Provides safe, clean and reliable power generated from 100 percent Maine sunshine
Provides educational opportunities for Farmington and Maine students, including technical/vocational opportunities
Provides a stable source of income for the York family, allowing them to continue their farming lifestyle