INDIANOLA, Miss.–Some Delta counties are facing issues with solar and wind farm projects. In Sunflower County, where there are no zoning ordinances in the county, that could mean supervisors would have trouble telling outside companies where they can and cannot locate wind farms and the turbines that come with them.
In Bolivar County it has been an on-going issue, with some landowners complaining that wind farms mean a hazard for crop dusters that might be spraying on adjacent land.
“If you’re gonna go without considering us, I’m not gonna consider giving you no kind of tax break,” said Supervisor Glen Donald, during a discussion at this week’s Sunflower County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Both he and Supervisor Riley Rice said they had been discussing the issue with Bolivar County supervisors.
“If you’re gonna disrespect our desires for our neighbor businesses, people that have been here for 15 and 20 years and you’re gonna set up something that’s gonna run them out of business, and you don’t even live here,” he said.
The board may discuss the issue further with counties where zoning is in force and farmers cannot lease their land, unless it is in an approved area. Tunica and DeSoto counties are examples.
“It is an advantage for them coming here because of the flat land and the sunshine,” said Rice, who said he doesn’t mind seeing farmers lease their land to solar farms because of a lack of other economic opportunities.
“So, if you are getting some money from solar, you better get it while the getting is good,” said Rice.
Passing zoning ordinances for the county would be a time-consuming process.
