Lawmakers are scrambling to pass bills to protect unincorporated areas from the unintended consequences of solar facilities. A proposed solar farm in Stockton, a landmark district, sparked the concern.
State Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) and State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Range) introduced companion bills to put a one-year moratorium on solar power facilities and to allow local commissions to have zoning control over solar farms.
Simpson spoke with Sean Sullivan on FM Talk 106.5's "Midday Mobile" about the status of the bills.
"It's fantastic to see the people that care so much about Stockton to get out there and everything is positive," Simpson said. "You know, it's one of those things that they care so much about the area and it's not just Stockton, it's people from all over the county, it's all over the state really that are focused on on this little, it's funny, they focus on this project, they focus on this little area, it's not even a town, it's unincorporated. But every time I walk the halls in Montgomery, 'Hey, what's going on in Stockton? Can you tell me about the Stockton project?' So, it is certainly a hot topic going on right now."
House Bills 617 and 618 and Senate Bills 354 and 358 mirror each other. Simpson said they were introduced late in the session because the Stockton solar farm project was proposed just before lawmakers went into session.
"The reason is because this has just popped up out of nowhere," said Simpson. "You know, it came up at the end of January, and people were caught off guard. The citizens of Stockton were caught off guard. You know, I know a lot of people had no clue this was going through the pipeline, and as you start to study and as you start to look into some of these details of it, there's just a lot of concerns about the impacts that this can make."
While he supports private property rights, Simpson said there are limitations, and he wants to ensure that Mobile Bay and other waterways in unincorporated Baldwin and Mobile Counties are protected.
"You know, one of the things we're taught early is, you know, your rights end where my rights begin," he added.
Simpson said he expects an amendment to the bills that would make them apply only to counties bordering the Gulf of America.
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