ADA COUNTY, Idaho — The fight over a large solar farm coming to Ada and Canyon County continues.
In May, more than a hundred community members brought their concerns to Ada County Commissioners.
Wednesday was another round of public comment in Ada County, as the seats were nearly filled once again arguing their case.
Farmers, neighbors, business owners, and people with expertise in solar all spoke and the testimonies went on for nearly four hours about the nearly 24-hundred-acre solar project.
Solar is not new to Idaho. There are already sites around the Treasure Valley.
The issue for some Idahoans is a new solar site looking to take over some farmland.
Those against the Power Butte Energy Center's solar project, argue the several thousand-acre site would hurt the local economy.
Eric Casper is a farmer near Melba.
"Once they build this, there won't be the jobs that came off of that ground," said Casper. "There won't ever be any houses. There won't ever be anything but a glass desert. That's just going to choke our community, choke the growth in our community, choke our schools, chokes, everything that is a community comes to a screeching halt."
Casper rented 500 acres of the farmland to grow feed for his dairy cows.
"We double crop most of it so we get a spring crop and a fall crop we typically yield about 45 to 48 tons per acre total forage on that farm," said Casper.
He said the company bought it and has concerns about what comes next.
"Preserve the farm ground like the Ada County comprehensive plan supports," he said.
The debate brought out Rob Frank, an Oregon Commissioner-Elect for Harney County.
"The whole Treasure Valley is some of the most fertile farmland in the U.S. in the western U.S.," said Frank. "Yakima Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Willamette Valley are the only other comparable areas."
Frank said if this gets passed, he worries it will keep happening across the surrounding states.
"To see premiere production, agricultural land like this taken out of production is worrisome to me because the precedent that it sets can cross county and state lines and while we are trying to explore renewable energy resources for our country, I think we have to be mindful about our food production," said Frank.
Frank said he's watched solar companies go up in Oregon and there is no economic boost that comes into the community like a farm brings.
A majority of people who spoke during the public hearing expressed similar concerns, but people for the solar project argued it would bring a great renewable resource to the area.
"Routinely, utilities select solar and storage projects," said Brad hHusinkveld, Idaho Conservation League Energy Policy Associate. "It's the least cost, least risk, most reliable, and safest option to satisfy their burdening resource need."
Also, 200 million gallons of water per day would no longer be used for the land and put back into the aquifer.
They also said it was difficult land to sell already.
"We had absolutely no offers, some of it is very good farm ground, some of it is very marginal farm ground," said Shane Beus, who sold land to the solar company.
"There are large crop outcrops of lava rock that can't be farmed," said Brian Merrell, a person who spoke at the public hearing. "There are power lines that run through the property. Some of our farm ground is good and some of it is very bad."
"This property is owned privately, it's kind of interesting all of the sudden its Idaho's farm ground, or my neighbor wants to claim it as his farm ground," said Beus.
The decision is delayed until July 30th.
This will give time for commissioners to research all of the things said at today's hearing before making a decision.
This hearing was only for the portion of the project in Ada County.
Canyon County's planning and zoning commission will also have to vote.
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