IID pushes to protect farmland from solar projects
Adrik Vargas
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) has taken a stance on where solar energy projects should go.
The board passed a resolution saying too much farmland in the Imperial Valley is being replaced with solar panels.
Most of the power from these projects goes to big cities like San Diego, not the local community. IID officials say they support solar development, but not at the expense of agriculture.
“One in every six jobs in the Imperial Valley is directly related to agriculture, so solar is great, as long as it’s not on AG land,” said Robert Schettler with IID.
The district also says farmland plays a role in helping the Salton Sea.
“When growers grow, whatever the size of their farmland is, one third of the water that goes onto the field drains off and goes to the Salton Sea, so if you take AG out of production, you’re not only affecting the local economy, you’re affecting the Salton Sea,” said Schettler.
Local farmworker advocates say protecting farmland is about more than just the valley.
“More than anything, it’s the country’s economy, here in the Imperial Valley just imagine how much produce we grow and distribute nationally,” said Ruben Partida with Comité de Acción del Valle.
Partida also raised concerns about job loss.
“If finding agricultural work is already hard because a lot of it is moving to Arizona, because of our water troubles here in the valley, now imagine the impact if there is less farmland, even less people who will have jobs,” he said.
IID is encouraging future solar projects to be built on desert or unused land instead.