NCSEA’s statement on the Currituck County Solar Ban

It is unfortunate that Currituck County residents will miss out on future jobs and land-lease payments from additional local solar development. The recent move to ban new solar projects from coming to the area shuts the door on the millions of dollars* in economic development and increased property tax revenues generated by existing Currituck County solar projects.

In reaching their decision, county commissioners cited inaccurate and misleading data from NC DEQ -- misinformation that NCSEA has worked to refute at the state level. NCSEA urges NC DEQ tour visit and ensure the accuracy of their materials regarding solar development; particularly those distributed in communities across North Carolina.

We also encourage other local governments to carefully vet the information they are given about solar, as solar misinformation has taken many forms in recent months -- often from seemingly reliable sources.

NCSEA hopes that the Currituck County commissioners will soon reverse or revise their decision to allow for future solar development opportunities. In the meantime, other North Carolina local governments should think carefully about considering such a broad-based ban. Alternatively, we hope to see communities work with a coalition of stakeholders to either develop new, sensible regulations around solar development or adapt the North Carolina Solar Template Ordinance to fit their community's needs.

Have Questions about Solar in Your Community? NCSEA is committed to providing North Carolina residents with the facts on solar. The following NCSEA resources are evidence-based and designed to clarify common questions about the impacts of solar energy:

• Guide to Solar in My Community
• Myth v Facts of Solar Photovoltaic Systems 
• Consumer Guide to Customer-Owned Solar Photovoltaic
• Solar PV Magnetic Field Facts 

*According to RTI International, Currituck County saw $50,312,803 invested in solar from 2007-2015.