IBERVILLE PARISH, La. (WAFB) – Entergy Louisiana’s proposed Cypress Harvest Solar project is drawing opposition from residents who say converting productive sugarcane fields along Highway 75 into a solar farm is inefficient and harmful to local agriculture.
Entergy announced the project in April. The facility would sit along Highway 75, spreading from Milly Plantation Road toward Derrick Road, and would span approximately 1,660 acres with a projected capacity of 200 megawatts.
Garry Harrell, a former plant engineer who has lived in Iberville Parish for decades, is leading opposition to the project among his neighbors.
“When you look at this whole project, it’s not efficient, it’s not effective,” Harrell said.
Harrell said removing the land from sugarcane production would force the region to import sugar it currently grows locally.
“We’re going to take productive 1,600 acres of productive sugarcane out of service. So what are we going to have to do to get more sugar? We’re going to have to import it. That’s as dumb as a box of rocks. I mean, why would we want to import something we can produce here?” Harrell said.
He also questioned the efficiency of solar power generation.
“Solar panels only produce 18 to 24 percent of the power. They don’t generate anything at night; they don’t generate anything in cloudy weather or foggy weather,” Harrell said.
Entergy says the Cypress Harvest Solar project would bring increased investment and local tax revenue to the parish, address significant power demand growth on the west side of the Mississippi River, accelerate large-scale renewable power generation in the region, and provide a local source of electricity to improve resilience.
Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle said the parish council must still approve Entergy’s permit to construct and operate the project, with a council vote scheduled for a later date.
The parish council also voted this month to impose a two-year moratorium on industrial battery energy storage systems, a move that could delay the project.
Entergy had not responded to a request for comment.
Entergy Louisiana will host a public information fair on Wednesday, Aug. 5, for residents who want to learn more about the proposed Cypress Harvest Solar project.
Representatives from Entergy will provide an overview of the proposed project, answer questions, and discuss potential opportunities for local vendors to connect with the project’s contract partner.
The event will run from 5:30–7 p.m. at the Carl F. Grant Civic Center, 24700 J. Gerald Berret Blvd., Plaquemine.
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