Why are Wells County Farmers at risk?
Wells County farmers are at risk of falling victim to a "domino effect" of leased land being used for purposes other than agriculture.
How does this work?
Farmers do not typically own 100% of the land that they farm. Most farmers obtain their farmland from a lease during the growing season.
For example:
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A farmer depends on 20% of their total land farmed to come from a leaser.
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The leaser decides to lease their land to a solar company instead of the farmer.
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The farmer cannot sustain their business on 80% of their annual yield.
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The farmer sells their land on the open market to avoid bankruptcy.
Why are Residents at risk?
Wells County Residents are at risk of losing their property value if Solar Panels are pervasively installed throughout the county.
How does this work?
Solar Panel installation is an eye-sore that residential homes may have to pay the cost for .
For example:
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A resident that lives in a location affected by commercial solar panel installation may see a decrease in real estate of 10%.
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The Homeowner with $250,000 in value of their residence could see a potential $25,000 decrease in value of their home (est. median income: $39,459)
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Current mortgage situations for the community could become unmanageable.
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The largest assets owned by residents lose value.
