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AND WELCOME TO THE CAROLINE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING.
[1 Opening]
TONIGHT WE ARE DISCUSSING THE FIVE YEAR RECERTIFICATION REPORT FOR MOUNT AND TO I GUESS GO AHEAD AND ELECT A CO-CHAIR, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN SLIGHTLY DETERMINED.SO. YES, SIR. WOULD YOU LIKE SOMEONE FIRST OR.
YEAH, WE CAN GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT. LET ME SEE.
[2. Election of Co-Chair]
WAS IT GREG THAT HAD SAID. OR IF NOBODY ELSE WANTS TO DO IT.YEAH. I, I LET GREG HARRIS AS THE CO-CHAIR FOR THE GROUP.
FIVE SECONDS OF MOTION. THANK YOU. EVERYBODY IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? CONGRATULATIONS, GREG. THANKS. OKAY. OKAY.
SO I DON'T KNOW. EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT I EMAILED.
[3. 5-Year Recertification Report for Maryland Agricultural Preservation Foundation]
IN THE PRINTED PACKAGE. I HAVE A FEW MORE MATERIALS.THERE WERE. THERE WAS THIS OF EASEMENTS THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ALL THE DATA FOR, BUT I TRIED TO PUT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER. SO THERE ARE ACTUALLY THREE LISTS OF DIFFERENT EASEMENT INVENTORIES. SO THERE'S THE MOUTH LIPS. THAT'S OUR LARGEST.
AND THEN THERE'S RURAL LEGACY THROUGH. AND THEN THERE'S A THIRD LIST. AND. MOSTLY FOREST CONSERVATION.
ON THE LAST PAGE IS JUST FOR THE.
ALSO BEGINS WITH THE MOST RECENT EASEMENTS. SO THE ONES THAT HAVE COME IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS ARE ON THE TOP, AND THERE'LL BE A DATE OF WHEN THE EASEMENTS.
AND THE LAST LIST IS, AFTER ALL THE FINANCIAL PAPERS.
AND I'VE STARTED TO GATHER ALL THE THINGS I WAS REALLY AMAZED THROUGHOUT THE PAST FEW YEARS, SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL.
AT THE END OF THE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO CALL THIS, YOUR DATABASE.
IT'S INCORRECTLY. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME DATABASE CLEANING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, BECAUSE IT'S SAYING THE EFFECTIVE DATE IS 12 A.M. AND THERE'S A ZERO COST TO THOSE. OKAY, LET ME TAKE A LOOK.
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AT THE BOTTOM. IT'S YOU GROUPED EVERYTHING BY DATE.AND SO THESE ONE, TWO, THESE LAST TEN THE DATABASE IS EFFECTIVELY.
YEAH. AND I COULD ONLY GO BACK SO FAR. YEAH. AND BECAUSE I HAVE TO RESEARCH EVERY FILE, OKAY.
TO FIND THE DATE OF WHEN IT WAS SETTLED. OKAY.
AND THEY ACTUALLY TOLD ME I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S SO MANY YEARS.
YEAH, YEAH. SO THE ONES THAT ARE 12:00, OKAY.
WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GO BACK. OH, OKAY.
SO I SHOULDN'T MENTION THAT BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WAS KIND OF A PROBLEM.
SORRY. WE HAVE MORE THAN MOST OF THE DATES. 95% OF THE EASY THINGS.
YES. QUESTION. SO THE LAST PAGE THROUGH 6050 ACRES WITH 35 EASEMENTS IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
THAT'S THE TOTAL IN AG PRESERVATION CURRENTLY.
NO. I GOT THIS ONE. SO THIS IS THE THAT'S FOR SLC. AND WE GOT THAT NUMBER FROM THEM AND WE THEY'RE THEY'RE ON BREAK RIGHT NOW. WE TRIED TO ASK THEM SPECIFICALLY IF THAT ONLY COVERED RURAL LEGACY BECAUSE SLC ALSO DOES NETI AND SOME DNR STUFF. SO WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO NAIL THAT DOWN.
BUT I COMPILED ALL OF THE RURAL RURAL LEGACY THAT I KNOW WE HAVE.
SO THAT'S ON THE I THINK IT'S THE LIGHT GREEN AND LIGHT BLUE SPREADSHEET.
OKAY. THIS IS THIS ONE. SO I PRINTED THIS AND DON'T HAVE A COLOR. OKAY. THAT WAS YEAH.
THE OTHER ONE WAS THE FORESTRY. YEAH, YEAH. SO THE YELLOW AND PINK ORANGE OR SOMETHING? YEAH. THAT HAS THE RURAL LEGACY TOTAL I HAVE IS 5437 ACRES, WHICH IS SHORT OF THE 6050 ACRES WHICH WE WERE TOLD BY DAVID SATTERFIELD THAT THEY HAD FOR TOTAL EASEMENTS, BUT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO NAIL DOWN WHETHER THAT WAS ONLY RURAL LEGACY OR MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST OR BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT EASEMENTS THAT ESL, ESL, ESL ADMINISTERS. SO THAT WAS THE NUMBER I CAME UP JUST FOR.
RURAL LEGACY WAS KIND OF CLOSE, SO. HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET A FINAL ANSWER FROM HIM AND CAN NAIL IT DOWN MORE SPECIFICALLY.
BUT OVER THE HOLIDAYS, IT'S HARD TO WORK. OUT.
HEY, MISS KATHERINE, I SEE THE MAP SHOWING WHERE THESE ACRES ARE.
WHAT IS THE COUNTY'S GOAL AS THINGS AS WE MOVE FORWARD? WHAT ARE WE AIMING TO ACCOMPLISH? WELL THE, THE PLANNERS WORKED ON THAT AND ON THE, ON THE LAST PAGE OF THEIR NARRATIVE, THEY TALK ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO. DO
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STRATEGIES. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY CAME UP WITH A NUMBER OR NUMBER OF ACRES. THEY ARE TRYING TO PRESERVE.THE STRATEGIES ARE ALSO TRYING TO TO COUNTERACT SOME LAWS THAT THE STATE HAS DONE IN REGARDS TO SOLAR AND TAKING OVER MOST OF THE ZONING ASPECTS OF LARGE SOLAR FIELDS. WE DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A SAY IN ANYTHING OVER TWO MEGAWATTS. IS THE PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA FOR THE COUNTY? IS THAT WHAT'S STILL ABLE TO BE PUT IN, OR BECAUSE IT SAYS AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION EASEMENTS ARE MARKED WITH THE BLUE HASHES AND THEN ALL IN THE GRAY IT'S PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA? IS THAT JUST THE REMAINING THAT'S NOT IN PRESERVATION? THAT CAN BE CORRECT. SO THE COUNTY HAS IDENTIFIED THE PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA. AND WHEN A PROPERTY GETS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, WE TAKE IT OUT OF PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEING CONSERVED.
ON THIS MAP. WHAT ARE THE AREAS IN WHITE THAT DON'T HAVE ANYTHING? I DON'T SEE A CODE FOR THEM THERE. URBAN AREAS, RURAL, LIKE TOWNS CAN HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT.
OKAY. WHERE ZONING IS DIFFERENT. SO LIKE, THIS IS OKAY. THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, BRO. EVERYTHING LIKE THAT? YES. YEAH. KIND OF LOOKS LIKE SOME OF IT'S STUFF THAT'S IN AG PRESERVATION OR TOWNS.
AND AROUND THE GREENSBORO. GOLDSBORO. YEAH. SO IT'S THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO WHAT THIS IS HE WAS THIS IS A THIS IS DENTON, GREENSBORO.
GOLDSBORO. SO SO IT'S BASICALLY LIKE TOWN PROPERTIES.
THAT CAN'T BE. THERE'S NO FARMLAND TO REALLY PUT IN.
WELL, THERE'S FARMLAND THERE. BUT YEAH, THEY THEY DON'T WANT TO PRESERVE THAT FARMLAND.
THEY WANT THAT TO GO TO MORE URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
YEAH. SO LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT AND THEN.
LIKE GREG SAID THAT LIKE YOU KNOW, SO YOU LOOK AT THIS AND YOU LOOK AT THIS, IT'S GOING TO BE, IT LOOKS LIKE DIRECTLY. RIGHT. YEAH. SOME OF THIS MIRROR THAT'S LIKE WE HAVE PRESERVATION ALREADY HERE.
MIGHT BE THERE ANY FUNDS ANYWHERE? ANY MONEY? ANY MONEY? ANY FUNDS? WELL, FOR FOR BOTH MOUTH AND SLC THEY'LL BOTH BE HAVING ROUNDS START SOON. THERE IS SOME MONEY, BUT IT'S AT LEAST 30 TO 40% LESS THAN THE LAST TIME AROUND.
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AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE STILL SOME ROUND TWO OF 2025 THAT THEY HAVEN'T PICKED YET.SO IF YOU APPLY TO 2025 THERE'S STILL MIGHT BE A CHANCE.
WHAT'S THE SOURCE OF THOSE FUNDS TO DO THIS. PRESERVATION.
MOSTLY COMES FROM THE AGRICULTURAL TRANSFER TAX.
SO WHEN FOR INSTANCE, WHEN ALL OF THE SOLAR WENT IN GOES THEY PAID. WHENEVER THEY TOOK SOMETHING OUT OF FARMLAND, THEY HAD TO PAY A TRANSFER TAX TO TAKE IT OUT OF AGRICULTURE AND PUT IT INTO COMMERCIAL. SO THAT GOES TO MOUTH. BUT THAT MONEY DOESN'T STAY HERE.
IT GOES TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE BECAUSE WE'RE CERTIFIED COUNTY.
WE GET 68. WE GET TO HOLD ON TO A HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT CERTIFIED, I BELIEVE YOU ONLY HOLD ON TO 35%.
BUT I BELIEVE WE HOLD ON TO 75%. BUT ALL OF THAT GOES INTO MORE AG PRESERVATION.
SO MORE MOUTH BECAUSE THE THE COUNTY PAYS MORE PERCENTAGE EVERY YEAR WE KICK IN A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE. SO IF EVEN THOUGH SO YOU HAVE TO THE COUNTY HAS TO PAY A PERCENTAGE BASICALLY EVERY TIME THAT THIS HAPPENS.
AND EVEN IF THE LAND TRANSFERS HAPPEN, THE THE MONEY GOING TO FROM MOUTH BECAUSE IT NEEDS THAT EXTRA PERCENTAGE, THE COUNTY COULD EFFECTIVELY KIND OF SHUT THIS KIND OF CHOKE OFF THIS PROGRAM.
RIGHT? YOU MEAN IF THE COUNTY DID NOT PAY THEIR PERCENTAGE? YES. IT IT'S KIND OF SET UP SO THAT ONLY WHAT THE COUNTY RECEIVED FOR THE AG TRANSFER TAXES IS THERE OBLIGATION TOWARDS EASEMENTS? OKAY. SO THE COUNTY ALSO BEFORE WE HAD A LOT OF REVENUE FROM THE AG TRANSFER TAX FOR YEARS, THE COUNTY PLEDGED $20,000 A YEAR.
YEAH. AND NOW THAT WE ARE HAVING MORE AG TRANSFER TAX THAT COUNTY HASN'T DONE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY GETTING REVENUE THROUGH THE AG TRANSFER.
OKAY. SO, IAN, YOU WERE WONDERING IF THE COUNTY WOULD STOP. SO BASICALLY, LIKE, YOU COULD THE EFFECT THE COUNTY COULD EFFECTIVELY, LIKE, CHOKE OFF THIS, THE PROGRAM. WELL, I SUPPOSE THEY COULD, BUT NONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS SEEMED TO WANT THAT.
YEAH, BUT I MEAN, IT STILL COULD HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU IF YOU STOP KICKING IN THAT PERCENTAGE, THEREFORE YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT MONEY ANYMORE.
I SUPPOSE SO. WELL, IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. IT COULD.
WELL, I SUPPOSE IT COULD. IT HASN'T IT HASN'T BEEN TESTED IS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY.
IT'S OKAY. DON'T WORRY. I MEAN, THERE THERE ARE YEARS, MAYBE NOT YEARS, BUT MAYBE SIX MONTHS AT A TIME WHEN THERE'S NO INCOME FROM AG TRANSFER. SO IT VARIES ACCORDING OBVIOUSLY.
SO WITH THIS SOLAR THOUGH WE WE'RE GETTING MORE MONEY NOW FROM THE TRANSFERRING THE LAND.
YEAH, YEAH. BUT WELL, THEY'RE REZONING IT THEN, AREN'T THEY? IT DOES GO OUT IN EASEMENTS, YOU KNOW. THAT'S SHARED ACROSS THE STATE, NOT JUST THIS COUNTY.
YES. SO THE AG TRANSFER TAX IS SPECIFIC TO CAROLINE ARE WHAT WE
[00:20:01]
MAKE IN REVENUE THROUGH THAT. AS FAR AS THE MOUTH FUNDING OF EASEMENTS.THEY, THEY SPREAD IT PRETTY EVENLY. I MEAN, THERE IS MONEY FROM DEPARTMENT OF AG A LOT FROM THE TRANSFER TAXES. BUT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, IT SPREAD PRETTY EVENLY ACROSS EACH COUNTY, AND CAROLINE COUNTY IS THE THIRD IN THE STATE FOR EASEMENT ACREAGE.
SO WE'RE WE'RE PRETTY HIGH UP THERE FOR A NUMBER OF EASEMENTS.
AND THAT'S JUST MATH. THAT'S NOT EVEN TAKING SLC INTO CONSIDERATION.
IS THAT PROGRAM NEW, THE SLC? YEAH, IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE.
THEY HAVE TAKEN ON THOSE RURAL LEGACY AND MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST AND MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT THEY'RE ADMINISTERING MORE OF IT. SO BOTH OF THOSE HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE RURAL LEGACY. I THINK IT WOULD BE THE 90S. MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST, I BELIEVE, WOULD BE THE 80S OR POSSIBLY EVEN EARLIER. I'VE JUST HEARD MORE ABOUT IT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAN I'VE HEARD OVER TIME.
YEAH, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING. YEAH. AND SLC WITH RURAL LEGACY, THEY'RE TRYING TO HOLD ON TO CERTAIN RURAL AREAS, AND THEY'RE NOT AS FOCUSED ON HAVING TILLABLE FARMLAND. SO THAT'S ONE DIFFERENCE. AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR EASEMENTS AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF FOREST LAND, I TRY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO LOOK AT RURAL, RURAL LEGACY INSTEAD, BECAUSE MOUTH IS REALLY FOCUSED ON AGRICULTURE.
SO WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN AND PRESENTS YOU WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, YOU CAN SEND THEM ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, BEST FIT OF THEIR FARM OR WHATEVER. YEAH. AND OF COURSE, THERE ARE ALWAYS FREE TO APPLY TO BOTH OF THEM.
BUT THE THE HIGHER ACREAGE OF TILLED GROUND IS MORE FAVORABLE TO MOUTH.
SO. ARE WE READY TO VOTE? ARE YOU GUYS READY TO VOTE? I'M GOOD IF YOU GUYS ARE ALL RIGHT.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECERTIFICATION REPORT FOR MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION FOUNDATION. ANYONE.
SECOND OR MOTION OR MOTION. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY.
AND IF YOU HAD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT, I KNOW THE THE PLANNERS DID THE MAPPING AND THE NARRATIVE PART. BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN THERE EITHER TONIGHT OR YOU CAN CALL ME LATER THAT YOU WANT CLARIFIED. I'D BE GLAD TO RUN IT BY THE PLANNERS.
I WAS WORKING ON THE INVENTORY LIST AND THEY WERE WORKING ON THE THE NARRATIVE.
THEY'VE INCLUDED QUITE A BIT FROM THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE MAPS AND THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PPA. IS THE 2026 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO PART OF THAT IS IN HERE. THE QUESTION FOR YOU ON THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, IT SAYS THAT THE COUNTY IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE THEIR EFFORTS ON THE PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA, WHICH IS ALL THE DARK GREEN.
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SO ALL THIS DARK GREEN IS NOT IN PRESERVATION, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN PRESERVATION.YES. SO BASICALLY THE WHOLE COUNTY. YEAH. YEAH.
YEAH. SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. THAT'S THE GOAL TO HAVE THE WHOLE COUNTY.
AND THE GOAL? YES. AND WHAT IS PERMANENT EASEMENT? THE ONES THAT HAVE THE GREEN LINES THROUGH THEM. WHAT IS THAT? SO. I AM PRETTY SURE THAT WOULD BE A PROPERTY.
THAT IS ALREADY ALREADY IN IN MOUTH OR SOMETHING ELSE.
YEAH. BECAUSE I CAN SPOT A COUPLE THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT ARE IN A MOUTH EASEMENT.
DOES IT SEEM LIKE THEY STILL WANT TO KEEP PRESERVING THIS COUNTY OR.
OH, YEAH, THEY DO. OH, YEAH, I, I FEEL LIKE THE CURRENT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE 100% AND KEEPING IT INTO FARMLAND, SO.
BUT THEY'RE NOT THE FINAL SAY THOUGH, RIGHT? WELL, THE STATE HAS BEEN RATHER SUPPORTIVE.
THE STATE HAS BEEN RATHER AGGRESSIVE ABOUT THE SOLAR.
RIGHT. SO MORE THAN FEARING HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, WE FEAR SOLAR TAKING LAND OUT OF FARMLAND.
AND THE STATE HAS BASICALLY SAID FOR LARGE ABOVE TWO KILOWATTS, THE LOCAL AUTHORITY REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANY SAY.
AND WE'VE HAD PEOPLE FROM THE PLANNING OFFICE GO TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, AND THERE CAN BE ISSUES BESIDES JUST THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T WANT THE LAND TO GO OUT OF FARMLAND.
SOME OF THE ZONING PRIORITIES WE HAVE DON'T WANT SOLAR IN CERTAIN PLACES, BUT IT'S IT'S HARD TO FIGHT WHEN THE STATE IS VERY ADAMANT ABOUT SUPPORTING SOLAR.
AND A LOT OF POWER GENERATION IS COMING DOWN INTO MARYLAND AND POWERING A LOT OF DATA CENTERS.
AND SO IN WESTERN MARYLAND. AND SO THEY HAVE TO PULL ENERGY FROM RESIDENTIAL UTILITIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT IN THE EAST AND START PULLING IT OVER THERE.
SO YEAH, IT'S NOT A GOOD SITUATION. AND ANYTHING THAT THEY CAN DO TO KIND OF LIKE EASE THAT ON A LOCAL LEVEL, THEY'RE GOING TO BECAUSE I THINK MARYLAND HAS THE HIGHEST AVERAGE COST OF ELECTRICITY IN THE COUNTRY. SO. YEAH, I, I KNOW THAT WHEN SOME OF OUR STAFF HAS GONE TO PLANNING CONFERENCES.
THE QUESTION COMES UP ARE YOU FIGHTING DATA CENTERS? AND THAT'S ONE THING WE HAVEN'T HAD TO FIGHT YET.
ON THE WESTERN SHORE, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGER THINGS THEY'RE FIGHTING.
PEOPLE DON'T REALLY WANT THEM IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT OVER HERE. WE'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE TO.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POPULATION. NO BANDWIDTH.
OKAY, GOOD. NO, THERE'S NOT. LIKE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COMPLETELY REDO SOME OF THE SOME OF THE MAIN TRUNKS OF HOW THE FIBER IS GOING. AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT. YEAH.
WELL I GUESS THAT'S ONE THING WE CAN BE THANKFUL FOR.
WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION ON ONE OF THEIR STOPPING A LOT OF THE SOLAR STUFF AREN'T THEY.
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DOES ANYTHING THAT'S NOT STARTED LIKE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.AREN'T THEY STOPPING A LOT OF IT. YOU KNOW THEY'RE TRYING TO SHUT IT DOWN.
THEY MIGHT BE, BUT I KNOW IN MARYLAND THEY'RE VERY PRO SOLAR IN MARYLAND.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH THE CONTROL THE PRESIDENT HAS OVER INDIVIDUAL STATES.
BUT. I THINK IN MARYLAND, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF STATE SUPPORT OF OF SOLAR. HOW MUCH OF A RISK OF LIKE THEM ENACTING EMINENT DOMAIN OVER FARMS, PRIVATE FARMS? LIKE, IS THERE, IS THERE A RISK FOR THEM DOING THAT TO PUT UP SOLAR, LIKE TAKING OVER FARMS, LIKE THEM SAYING THIS IS A GOOD SPOT, WE'RE GOING TO USE IT.
YEAH, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT A TINY BIT. I DON'T REALLY SEE THAT AS BEING SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT. THEY, THEY'RE FAVORING THE SOLAR COMPANIES. AND OF COURSE, THE SOLAR COMPANIES WOULD MUCH RATHER BUILD ON AN OPEN FIELD THAN ON A ROOF OR A PARKING LOT. THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHER WAYS TO DO IT.
BUT THE SOLAR COMPANIES ARE THE ONES PUSHING THE FARMLAND.
I HAVE A COUSIN WHO HAS A 500 ACRE CAR FARM, AND HE GETS, HE TOLD ME YESTERDAY, 50 LETTERS A WEEK FROM SOLAR COMPANIES. MY DAD GETS TEXT MESSAGES AND EMAILS.
LETTERS IN THE MAIL, PHONE CALLS. HE'S HAD SEVERAL.
HE USUALLY JUST SHUTS THEM DOWN. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS TO DO WITH HIM BEING MAYBE A RETIREMENT AGE BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEING THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, MAYBE THE LAND ISN'T. IT'S NOT. WE GET PLENTY TO DO.
YOU REALLY? YEAH. PHONE CALLS RUNS IN SPURTS.
IT WAS REAL BAD IN SEPTEMBER. YEAH. SEPTEMBER.
SEPTEMBER WAS REAL BAD. YEAH. BET I GOT 15, 20 CALLS A WEEK.
THEY'RE LIKE, AREN'T YOU READY TO RETIRE? YEAH.
DON'T YOU? AREN'T YOU SICK OF FARMING? BUT THEY I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF THE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THAT STUFF THERE IN GREENSBORO AND GOLDSBORO, AND THEY SAID THAT WAS PUT IN 6 OR 7 YEARS AGO.
YEAH. YEAH. AND MOST OF THE COUNTY, I DON'T EVEN THINK YOU TALK TO MOST OF THE COUNTY.
THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON UNTIL IT WAS OVER.
YEAH. AND NOW NO ONE IN THE COUNTY WANTS IT. TOO LATE NOW, THOUGH.
YEAH. AND WHEN THESE DECISIONS ARE MADE HEARINGS ARE ANNOUNCED, AND THEY HAVE TO GO BEFORE THE BOARD OF APPEALS TO GET A SPECIAL USE EXCEPTION. AND THAT'S A PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S PUBLICIZED AND IT'S POSTED THE PROPERTIES POSTED.
RIGHT. BUT YEAH, THEY MANAGED TO HIDE IT. THEY PUT IT IN A BASEMENT SOMEWHERE, PROBABLY.
YEAH. THEY DIDN'T. THE PUBLIC DIDN'T SEE IT UNTIL THE SIGN SHOWED UP.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN THE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE COMPLAINING STARTED.
YEAH. I MEAN, I'VE EVEN HAD PEOPLE ASK ME, THEY'RE LIKE, AREN'T YOU ON A LAND PRESERVATION BOARD? I'M LIKE, YEAH, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SOLAR PANELS. YEAH. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE, YOU COULDN'T HAVE STOPPED IT. I'M LIKE, NO, WE CAN'T STOP IT.
NO. YEAH. AND IT'S INTERESTING AS WELL THAT THAT PROJECT WENT THROUGH IN 2018.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S CHANGED HANDS, CHANGED OWNERSHIP TWICE SINCE THEN.
SO THAT SEEMS KIND OF FREAKY TO ME, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A COUNTY PROCESS TO GET PERMISSION FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SELL IT.
YEAH. BECAUSE THEN YOU SWITCH NAMES THAT SHOULD BE OVER.
DO THEY UNDERSTAND ALL THE COMPLICATIONS OR. OR THERE'S ONE COMPANY DOING ALL THE WORK, AND THEN ANOTHER COMPANY COMING IN AND BUYING THEM ONCE IT'S ALL DONE? YEAH, I'VE HEARD OF SOME OF THAT STORIES OF IT'S IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE,
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BUT THEY START UP ANOTHER LLC. THAT ONE FOLDS UP, GOES BANKRUPT OR WHATEVER.THEY START UP ANOTHER LLC OR CORPORATION. AND YEAH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS.
I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT THE COUNTY HAD.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE SAYING THAT QUITE A FEW OF THE COMPANIES WILL CHANGE HANDS QUITE A FEW TIMES, AND THAT GIVES THEM ALSO THE RIGHT TO RENEGOTIATE THE CONTRACTS WITH THE LANDOWNERS.
SO WHICH KIND OF IS NOT GOOD IF THAT'S TRUE. YEAH.
WELL NOW WE CAN. FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE LANDOWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEY PULL OUT LANDOWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SOLAR PANELS ARE GETTING RID OF THEM. YEAH. THAT IS A BIOHAZARDOUS MATERIAL.
SOME OF IT. I'LL TAKE THEM. YEAH. DID YOU ALL SEE THE THE LETTER THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WROTE TO. I THINK IT WAS IT WAS ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT IT WAS A WARNING FOR ANYBODY CONSIDERING SOLAR.
IT WAS ABOUT THREE PAGES LONG. SO A WOMAN WHO HAS A MOUTH EASEMENT, I CALLED HER BECAUSE I HAD TO DO INSPECTION AT HER PLACE AND SHE TOLD ME SHE REALLY ENJOYED THAT LETTER, SAID, WELL, I'M GLAD BECAUSE A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT.
IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE. YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE LOOK AT DOLLAR SIGNS AND NOT WHAT'S ALL THE RISK INVOLVED? AS A LANDOWNER. WELL, THEY LOOK, THEY LOOK AND THEY SEE HOW MUCH THEY COULD MAKE AND NOT HOW MUCH THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO. RIGHT. SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT VALUES THAT ARE NOT ACTUALLY.
THEY'RE NOT CONGRUENT. PUT THAT UP THERE. IT'S JUST AN EYESORE FOR THE COUNTY.
IT JUST, YOU KNOW, I STILL MISS THE I MISS THAT.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY TOOK DOWN THE THE SOLAR THING UP AT THE CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE.
I REMEMBER THAT I LIKE THAT THAT WAS THERE, LIKE, IT WAS LIKE, KIND OF LIKE THE GATEWAY TO THE OCEAN, TO THE EASTERN SHORE. YEAH. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WAS TAKEN DOWN.
I DON'T THINK THEY WERE GENERATING ANYWHERE. IT WASN'T.
THEY SAID IT WASN'T WORTH. IT WAS COSTING MORE TO HAVE.
IT WAS MAKING. SO YEAH. SURPRISE, SURPRISE. THAT SAYS SOMETHING.
YEAH. YEAH. IN THE COUNTY, WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY LIKE THREE AGENCIES THAT ARE PRESERVING LAND? HOW COME THEY CAN JUST BE ONE AND THESE OTHER ONES, DO THEY GET THEIR FUNDING FROM SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT? YES. IT IT IS SO COMPLICATED. I REALLY CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S IT'S EVOLVED OVER DECADES, AND SOME OF IT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY NONPROFITS, SOME OF IT THROUGH TAXES AND LIKE THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
BUT IT'S IT'S VERY COMPLICATED, AND I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU.
I MEAN, I KNOW PRETTY MUCH ABOUT NOW, BUT THEN WHEN WE GET INTO THESE OTHER TYPES OF EASEMENTS, IT AMAZES ME HOW MANY THERE ARE. AND ALSO FOREST CONSERVATION IS SOMETHING WE TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF.
AND THERE ARE LIKE SEVEN DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING FOREST CONSERVATION.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S A MAP THAT THE STATE HAS, IT'S IT'S LIKE THROUGH IT MIGHT BE THROUGH DNR, BUT IT'S CALLED THE MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL.
IT'S GOT THE SYMBOL MERLIN M E R I N, BUT YOU CAN SELECT IT TO SHOW WHATEVER KIND OF EASEMENTS YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR. AND THEY LIST ALL OF THEM.
THERE ARE ABOUT 12 DIFFERENT KINDS. SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE THE MERLIN.
SO LIKE EMAP IS WHAT CONTROL IS THE OVERARCHING LIKE THE OVERARCHING TECHNOLOGY ARM OF AND THEN THE STATE AGENCIES FEED IN INFORMATION INTO THAT WHICH IS THEN REDISPLAYED.
AND SO IF YOU'RE GETTING DATA, IT'S PROBABLY GOING THROUGH IMAP.
[00:40:04]
IF YOU'RE NOT, THEN YOU NEED TO. YEAH. THIS IS MARYLAND'S ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND LAND INFORMATION NETWORK.THERE YOU GO. YEAH. YEAH. SO THAT'S THAT'S GOT JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.
AND IT'S IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT I FIND MYSELF GOING TO THAT SITE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO TRY TO CHECK ON SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF EASEMENT SOMEBODY HAS.
AND THERE ARE MISTAKES ON THERE. BUT THAT'S THE FIRST PLACE I GO TO DOUBLE CHECK SOMETHING.
SO THEY'LL HAVE MOUTH EASEMENTS. THEY'LL HAVE RURAL LEGACY MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST.
YOU'RE NOT AN EDITOR. I'M NOT WHAT? YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO EDIT THAT DATA.
WELL, I, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO EDITING IT.
I JUST WANT TO REPORT IT WHEN SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.
OKAY. SO BUT IT'S SO MUCH INFORMATION. IT'S IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
WHICH PROGRAM IS EASIER TO GET IN. WHAT PROGRAM.
YEAH. WHICH ONE'S EASIER TO GET THROUGH. TO TO CHECK THAT MAP FOR.
YEAH. I'M USUALLY DOUBLE CHECKING ON MOUTH EASEMENTS BECAUSE WHEN SOMEONE RECEIVES AN EASEMENT, THERE'S A LONG PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE EASEMENT IS ACTUALLY RECORDED IN LAND RECORDS.
SO SOMETIMES I GO TO THAT MAP TO SEE IF IT'S BEEN RECORDED YET BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT PROPERTY IT IS.
BUT IT, IT MIGHT TAKE MOUTH A YEAR TO SETTLE AN EASEMENT.
SO I KEEP A LIST OF ALL THE ONES THAT HAVE GOTTEN AN EASEMENT.
BUT. WHEN THEY ADDED THIS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THIS IS BASICALLY THE CHAPTER ON THE PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA.
SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, BECAUSE THAT DOES KIND OF SPELL OUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND. I. IS THAT A TEN YEAR PLAN? 20 YEAR PLAN? WELL, YOU HAVE TO DO A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ABOUT THEY USED TO SAY EVERY TEN YEARS, BUT IT'S KIND OF BECOMING ABOUT EVERY 15 YEARS. SO OUR LAST PLAN WAS IN 2010.
SO NOW IT'S 2026. SO BASICALLY THE NEXT 15 YEARS HOPEFULLY IS WHAT YOU KNOW. YEAH. WHICH I MEAN THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO GET ALL OF IT.
BUT I MEAN YEAH IT DEPENDS ON MONEY TOO. OH YEAH.
YOU KNOW BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE A PLAN. YEAH. RIGHT, RIGHT.
BUT I MEAN, THAT PLAN COULD, YOU KNOW, WITH MORE SOLAR COMES, THAT'S MORE TRANSFER MONEY.
IT YOU KNOW, IT'S PRESERVING MORE. IF THERE'S NO SOLAR COMING, THEN THERE'S LESS MONEY.
RIGHT. I'M. I'M JUST HOPING NO MORE SOLO ALBUMS. BUT WE GET WE GET PROJECTS. WE GET PROJECTS SUBMITTED EVERY WEEK.
YEAH. IT'S YEAH, I THINK THIS ONE TOOK EVERYONE BY SURPRISE.
THAT WENT UP TO GREENSBORO OR WHATEVER. YEAH, I, I'M FROM DORCHESTER AND WE'VE HAD I SAT ON THE BOARD OF APPEALS THERE AND WE HAD A COUPLE SMALL ONES, BUT I LEFT THE BOARD AND THEY RECENTLY GOT SOME HUGE ONES THAT ARE JUST ACRES AND ACRES. AND I MEAN, I GUESS YOU CAN'T REALLY SAY NO IF THEY FOLLOW ALL THE RULES, BUT AND I'VE HEARD ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT MONEY.
OH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A SET.
THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE. IT'S. YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE HEARD PEOPLE GETTING LIKE, THREE, THREE COMPANIES COMING TO THEM AND JUST DRAG IT ON AND ON AND ON FOR 2 OR 3 YEARS.
[00:45:03]
AND THEN ANOTHER COMPANY COMES IN, YOU KNOW, LIKE THEY'RE WASTING THEIR TIME, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE WAITING FOR UNLESS THEY'RE DOING THEIR RESEARCH TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT BENEFITS THEM THE SOLAR COMPANY, HOW FAR THEY'RE FROM THE POWER LINES, WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY LIKE THAT POWER LINE, THE MAIN TRANSFER LINE OR WHATEVER.YEAH, YEAH. IF YOU HAVE PROPERTY NEAR THERE, THAT'S THE PEOPLE I'VE BEEN THAT HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY REALLY AGGRESSIVE WITH THAT LAND ALONG THAT LINE WOULD COST THEM LESS TO GET TO THE END GOAL.
RIGHT. YEAH. BUT DO WE BENEFIT AT ALL FROM THAT.
WELL, SUPPOSEDLY THE SMALLER SCALE, WHICH THEY CALL COMMUNITY SOLAR SUPPOSEDLY THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT THOSE ARE ALL MUCH SMALLER SOLAR FIELDS.
THEY'RE ONLY 1 TO 2MW, BUT THEY DON'T TAKE UP AS MUCH SPACE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE MEGAWATT MIGHT BE SEVEN ACRES.
SO, LIKE THE STUFF IN GREENSBORO, WILL WE SEE ANY BENEFIT OF THAT? I THINK THAT'S ALL GOING OUT OF STATE. YEAH. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT'S ONE THING, BUT WHEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND IT'S GOING ELSEWHERE, YOU KNOW. YEAH. THAT'S THE KEY PART. YEAH I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT.
MY DAUGHTER HAS IT ON HER HOUSE. HER ELECTRIC BILL IS $13 A MONTH.
IT'S GREAT, BUT SHE HAD TO GET A NEW ROOF PUT ON AND IT COST A FORTUNE TO GET IT TAKEN OFF.
AND SHE'S GOT TO PUT NEW ON. AND SHE DIDN'T WANT IT WHEN SHE BOUGHT THE HOUSE, BUT IT WAS ALREADY IN A CONTRACT, AND SHE WAS GOING TO COST HER 14,000 TO GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT.
AND I'M JUST LIKE SHE HAS PPA WITH THE PPA. YOU LEASE THE PANELS.
SHE'S ACTUALLY LIKE A LEASING. SHE'S LEASING THE PANELS AND THEN LIKE THEY DO UP TO A PERCENTAGE.
AND IT WAS BOUGHT THROUGH A GOVERNMENT GRANT.
THE PEOPLE THAT HAD IT BEFORE GOT A GRANT. OKAY.
IT'S NOT AT LEAST I DON'T THINK. I THINK THEY BOUGHT IT. DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? NO, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LEASE TO WHAT I READ THROUGH IT.
YEAH, IT'S IT'S TYPICALLY LIKE A PPA IS LIKE A YOU'RE BASICALLY, WELL, 11 MORE YEARS.
SHE OWNS IT. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. BUT STILL, LIKE, YOU'RE IN ORDER TO LIKE.
YEAH, IT BASICALLY IT'S A LOAN. EITHER IT'S A LOAN, YOU TAKE OUT A LOAN, YOU YOU PAY FOR IT OUTRIGHT OR YOU GET PPA. THIS WAS A GOVERNMENT. THEY WENT THROUGH SOME KIND OF COST SHARE THROUGH GOVERNMENT AND GOT IT PUT ON.
AND THEN SHE JUST HAPPENED TO COME ALONG AND BUY THE HOUSE AND IT STUCK TO THE DEED.
YEP. THERE'S NO WAY. YEAH. IT'S LIKE YEAH I MEAN IT'S A PRETTY LARGE CONTRACT TO READ THROUGH.
I WAS READING THROUGH IT AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WHERE IT SAID IT WAS LIKE A LEASE THING.
BUT MAYBE I DON'T OWN THE PANELS RIGHT NOW. WELL, THEN IT'S A LEASE.
SHE DOESN'T OWN THEM. SHE COULD HAVE BOUGHT THEM FOR 14,000.
YEAH, BUT. SO TECHNICALLY, SHE. SO TECHNICALLY, IT'S LIKE A PPA.
IT IT MAY BE UNDER, LIKE A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONTRACT, BUT.
BUT THEY DID LIKE NO ONE ELSE CAN TOUCH THEM TO TAKE THEM OFF.
YOU HAVE TO GET THEIR PEOPLE. YEP. WHICH, I MEAN, THERE'S PEOPLE ALL AROUND THAT.
YEAH, YEAH YEAH YEAH, YEAH, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A CERTIFICATION.
I HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT MORE THEN. YEAH. I DIDN'T SEE WHERE THEY RELEASED STRAIGHT OUT.
THEY DON'T CALL IT A LEASE. THEY. YEAH IT'S CALLED SOMETHING ELSE LIKE THAT. BUT IT'S LIKE I THINK THEY, THEY CALL IT PPA. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT STANDS FOR, BUT IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT BECAUSE WHEN I GOT MY SOLAR PANELS, EVERYBODY WANTED TO SELL ME PPA. AND THEY'RE THE WAY THAT THEY DO IT IS THEY DO IT AS PART OF A LEASE.
AND YOU CAN THERE'S GOVERNMENT LIKE DEPENDING IF YOU DID IT BACK IN LIKE 2010 YOU COULD GET SUBSIDIES FROM THE GOVERNMENT. LIKE BACK BEFORE I, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AGO BUT YOU WOULD GET SUBSIDIES FOR THIS. AND SO BASICALLY YOU WERE PAYING THE LIKE THE GOVERNMENT IS THEN PAYING THAT COMPANY LIKE PPA. HOW PPA WORKS IS LIKE YOU PAY LIKE 75 BUCKS, 100 BUCKS, WHATEVER.
AND YOU, THEY COVER X AMOUNT OF PERCENTAGE. AND IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE COVERING 65%, YOU KNOW, 100% WHATEVER. AND IT'S A WAY TO GIVE TO GIVE SOLAR POWER GENERATION
[00:50:08]
WITHOUT THE UPFRONT COST OF WITHOUT THE UPFRONT COST.AND SO BASICALLY THE WHOEVER IS DOING LIKE SOLARCITY, THAT'S WHO THIS IS.
BUT THAT'S A PPA. BUT THEY WERE BOUGHT OUT BY TESLA.
YEAH. THEY'RE IT'S A PPA 100% BECAUSE IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.
YES. IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARE. 100% THEY WERE. THAT'S A PPA.
YOU HAVE TO GET AN APP TO TALK TO THEM. YEAH, I TRIED TO.
HOW THE SALESMAN WAS MAKING THE MOST AMOUNT OF PERCENTAGE WAS THROUGH A PPA LOAN OR A PPA, BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE THEY SUPPOSEDLY GOT SOME KIND OF GRANT FOR IT.
THAT'S THE PPA. SO THE PPA GOES TO THE SALESMAN OR WHERE'S THE $70 GO? I'M SAYING THAT GOES TO THE COMPANY. I MEAN, IT GOES TO THE COMPANY, BUT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN PAID ONCE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE $70 IS FOR 70 BECAUSE THEY NEVER ACTUALLY WERE PAID FOR THAT SOLAR PANELS.
SO LIKE WHAT THEY DO IS THEY COME IN AND THEY PUT THE SOLAR PANELS ON YOUR ROOF.
AND THEN EVERY MONTH YOU HAVE A MONTHLY BILL THAT'S PAID TO THE SOLAR COMPANY.
YEAH. INSTEAD OF PAYING IT. SO LIKE INSTEAD OF PAYING $100, $70 TO THE ELECTRIC COMPANY.
RIGHT. YOU'RE PAYING $70 TO, I GUESS, WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
WHERE'S THE BENEFIT? THERE IS NONE. THERE YOU GO.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IT'S A WHOLE. IT'S A WASTE.
YEAH. AND SO. AND THE PROBLEM WITH THESE THINGS IS THE MECHANICS LIEN ON THE HOUSES.
YEAH. BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW THEY DID IT PROBABLY.
I WANT TO SAY IN 2016, 1516 IS WHEN SOLARCITY HAD MADE THEIR BIG PUSH TO THIS AREA.
YEAH. THAT'S PROBABLY SOUNDS RIGHT FOR THIS PLACE.
YEAH. AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS THEY GAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY AND THE OWNERS, THE, THE WHEN THE OWNERS WERE DOING THAT, THEY WERE TAKING THE TAX BENEFITS.
EXACTLY RIGHT. YES. AND SO THEY GET ALL THE BENEFITS.
YEAH. YOU CAN DO IT WITH A. YEAH, IT'S AN INVERTER.
SO YOU HAD THEY WERE DOING. I DON'T LIKE THE FIVE KILOWATTS I LIKE THE, THE BIGGER ONES.
YOU GOT THEM ON A GARAGE AND GOT THEM ON OUR HOUSE.
OH, YEAH. SO WHEN THEY COME OFF NOW WE GOT HOLES IN THE ROOF.
YEP. YEP. YEAH. IF THEY, IF THEY DIDN'T DO IT RIGHT.
YEAH. THEY DEFINITELY AND THAT'S WHY I ACTUALLY DIDN'T GO WITH THEM.
I WENT WITH THE GREEN STREET SOLAR IN DELAWARE.
OKAY, BUT THEY ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO BUY IT. AND IT'S NOT CHEAP.
LIKE, I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT AN EXTENSION.
I WANTED TO EXPAND MY SOLAR SYSTEM, AND PEOPLE WERE COMING IN WITH QUOTES OF, LIKE, 30 GRAND.
SO WHY ARE YOU DOING IT? I DON'T LIKE IT. I DON'T LIKE IT, BILL.
SO LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY. I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE BENEFITS OF IT.
I DON'T HAVE A BILL. FOR SEVEN MONTHS, EIGHT MONTHS, A YEAR.
YES. AND THEN SHE HAS A $70 BILL. YEAH. TO THE SOLAR CITY.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I DIDN'T SEE THE BENEFIT OF IT. WHY PEOPLE WOULD PUT IT MY PUT IT UP.
SO I HAVE ELECTRIC HEAT AND LIKE I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE OF GAS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE EXCEPT FOR ELECTRICITY. MY BILL.
SO WHAT? IT WAS IT LAST. LAST MONTH OR LAST YEAR? RIGHT AROUND JANUARY. MY NEIGHBORS BILLS WERE IN TWO GRAND'S WERE TWO GRAND.
DELMARVA POWER. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, PEOPLE TO PUT THIS STUFF UP.
[00:55:03]
YEAH, CUZ THE REST OF ELECTRIC STREET. BUT THERE'S.WELL, YEAH, BUT TWO GRAND LIKE EVERY OTHER HOUSE WAS LIKE.
I THINK IT WAS LIKE TWO. THE HIGHEST I HEARD WAS TWO GRAND.
YEAH, BUT EVERY OTHER HOUSE WAS LIKE, IN THE 1500S, AND MINE WAS ONLY 100 BUCKS.
YEAH. AND SO, I MEAN. YOU GOTTA TAKE THE. IT'S A LONGER PAYOFF, BUT IT'S WORTH IT, I THINK. IT'S LIKE YOU'RE GONNA. THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT DELMARVA POWER IS A CONGLOMERATE OF EXELON. AND SO EXELON HAS JUST ENOUGH.
GENERATORS TO. THEY CAN PUT IN BIDS AND ALL BE IN THE SAME COMPANY BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY MET THE CRITERIA. AND SO THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT THAT THEY DON'T TAKE ANY OUTSIDE BIDS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THEY'RE DOING IS LIKE, OH, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO CHARGE? OKAY. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND BECAUSE WE'VE WE'VE LET THIS HAPPEN.
IT DOESN'T YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S NOT A PUBLIC UTILITY AT THAT POINT.
IT'S NOT A CO-OP. YEAH. WELL BECAUSE AN EXELON IS THEY OWN POWER PLANTS IN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE PUTTING IN A BID, YOU CAN PUT IN LIKE A COMPETITIVE BID AND IT'LL BE IT'S STILL THEY KNOW THAT. IT'S LIKE EVEN IF THERE IS LIKE SOME KIND OF LIKE FIREWALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, COME IN UNDERNEATH OR LIKE WHAT, WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS ACTUALLY TRYING. THEY AIN'T GOTTA WORRY ABOUT NOBODY CUTTING THEM OUT. YEAH, EXACTLY. YEAH. YEAH. RIGHT. YEAH. BUT I DO LIKE SOLAR.
IT'S IT'S NOT A LIKE I HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES.
I ACTUALLY GET A CHECK EVERY. EVERY YEAR FOR ABOUT 500 BUCKS. AND THAT'S ONLY AND THAT'S FOR 36 PANELS OF POWER THAT I'M FEEDING BACK INTO THE GRID.
I STILL PAY, BUT I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN CAUSE THE EXACT SAME EVERY MONTH, NO MATTER IF THE AIR CONDITIONERS ARE RUNNING, NO MATTER WHAT IT'S EXACT. BUT IT'S JUST SHE'S LIVED THERE BY HERSELF.
YEAH. SO I MEAN, WHICH IF SHE PROBABLY LIVED THERE BY HERSELF.
MAYBE 18, 16, 18 SOMETHING. BUT IT'S ONLY LIKE A 1400 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE.
IT'S SMALL. HOW MANY INVERTERS DOES SHE HAVE? 3 OR 4. IT LOOKED LIKE THREE. SO SHE HAS. SHE HAS ABOUT 15.
IS IT SUPPORTS UP TO. THEY USE FIVE K INVERTERS AND I THINK THEY DO.
UP TO. TEN. TEN ON EACH MAYBE OR AND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND YEAH, I MEAN THEY'RE NOT A BAD COMPANY, BUT LIKE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S PPA.
AND THE MECHANIC'S LIEN IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I REFUSE TO DO IT.
YEAH. GOES RIGHT ON YOUR RIGHT ON YOUR DEED. YEAH, YEAH I THINK THE D WELL AND THE, THE COST OF SOLAR PANELS HAS BECAUSE OF ALL THE TARIFFS AND EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT, YOU'RE PAYING.
I WANT TO SAY 100% TARIFF ON SOLAR PANELS AT THIS POINT.
AND LIKE I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD DO THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK BIDEN'S ADMINISTRATION WAS WAY MORE FOR IT THAN TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION.
YEAH, BUT THEY STILL NEVER TOOK THE ORIGINAL TARIFFS OFF ON THEM WHEN THEY WERE PUT IN PLACE.
OH, SO YOU'RE SAYING WHEN BIDEN HAD IT IT WAS STILL 100% TARIFFS ON.
NO THEY WEREN'T I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WERE 100% I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PERCENTAGE IS.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN I THINK AT THIS POINT IT'S PRETTY HIGH.
[01:00:03]
I DON'T KNOW. LET ME LOOK IT UP. DO YOU REALLY MAKE A MOTION.YEAH YEAH YEAH. BEFORE WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS I MOVE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
I SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.