For better or for worse, the Iberville Parish Council rendered a decision that may — or may not — have long-reaching effects in terms of a rapidly growing industry that wants to do business in the parish.
Granted, industry has not been a big source of stress in Iberville Parish when petrochemical entities pump millions of dollars in revenue into our local economy.
Petrochemical has been a constant source of new revenue for nearly 70 years, starting with the opening of Dow Chemical and going on from there.
Now, a new industry is knocking at the door. But this time, the parish isn’t so eager to unlock it.
The Iberville Parish Council’s no vote on whether to allow Entergy to move forward on plans for a proposed Cypress Harvest Solar Farm did not come as that big of a surprise.
Residents have packed the meeting chamber several times in the past few months to voice opposition to solar farms.
The vote to reject the request came after residents asked the Council members to nix the plan.
Some fear they may pose a threat to health. Others worry about the impact on agriculture.
Another group does not want it because they’re no aesthetic gem, which leads some to fear a decline in property value. One can’t fault them for listening to their constituents, but it may not be the last they hear of solar farms.
While Parish President Chris Daigle emphasized that Entergy’s request met all requirements of the ordinance council members put in place in 2023, residents remained steadfastly opposed — and enough of the Council agreed, leading to denial of Entergy’s request.
What’s one man’s meat is another man’s poison, however.
West Baton Rouge seized the opportunity, and the same goes for Pointe Coupee. Granted, they’re nothing that adds beauty to the rural surroundings.
To the contrary, they’re ugly.
But are they necessarily a harm?
Pointe Coupee Parish — a parish with a fraction of Iberville and West Baton Rouge’s revenue — welcomed the projects with open arms. Pointe Coupee’s core industry is sugar, and there’s just not much else in that area in terms of manufacturing.
Daigle said after the meeting he worries about the precedent his Council’s vote set for other prospective industries.
Indeed, he believes in the rights of landowners.
At the same time, he recognizes when an industry seeking a permit has followed all the guidelines the parish has put in place.
Chances are that the loss of the solar farm won’t even amount to a dot on the radar in terms of a missed opportunity for economic impact.
When we have a large petrochemical industrial presence in Iberville Parish, it’s easy to say “no.”
Having a Hyundai Steel plant set to begin construction this fall just south of the parish line doesn’t hurt Iberville, either. It may be in Ascension, but in terms of jobs and related industry, Iberville will get its share of the gravy.
But what does the future hold for solar farms?
Drive through Texas, as I will be doing in a couple hours, and it’s plainly visible. Solar farms line much of Interstate 10 through the Lone Star State.
They’re not at all pretty, but they’re bringing even more money to one of the wealthiest states in the nation.
It may have been easy to say “no” this time, but they can’t say it will always be that way.
In fact, it may not be the economy that dictates what happens. It could be a court judge who makes the call.
The Parish Council’s vote may have put the brakes on a solar farm for now, but it’s probably not the last that parish residents have heard about this issue.

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