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Into the Woods: Solar Fields in the Forest
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posted on 2022-02-02, 20:56 authored by Narragansett Bay Estuary ProgramNarragansett Bay Estuary ProgramAs a society, we need to reduce fossil fuel consumption, and curb greenhouse gas emissions. One way to do this is by increasing our reliance on renewable energy sources, such as solar arrays or fields. Many of these arrays are placed in forested regions. Forests provide water quality, habitat, shade/cooling, recreation, and capture and store carbon dioxide. By placing solar fields in forests, we are creating a competition between the benefits of solar and the benefits of forests.
This two-page factsheet opens a conversation about balancing energy needs with forest benefits for the Narragansett Bay region (including the Coastal Salt Ponds and Little Narragansett Bay). We need to understand what the land was before, and what it could be if it wasn't a solar field. Through conversations with local resource managers and advocates, NBEP also summarized the limited control Rhode Island and Massachusetts have on where solar fields are permitted. We also discuss how towns in both states can be empowered to make changes.
This is the first in a series. We will be pursuing data to show the change in forests due to solar field development, and exploring how to incentivize solar fields on developed land and ensure forests are protected.
The audience for this piece is anyone who is interested in balancing the benefit of forests and energy needs particularly environmental managers, members of land-trust committees, and the interested public.
NOTE
The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or Roger Williams University. Any mention of trade names, products, or services does not imply an endorsement by the U.S. Government, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or Roger Williams University. The EPA and Roger Williams University do not endorse any commercial products, services, or enterprises.
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USEPA CE00A00967
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- Climate change processes
- Other earth sciences not elsewhere classified
- Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation
- Ecosystem function
- Environmental education and extension
- Environmental management
- Environmental management
- Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified
- Environmental management not elsewhere classified
- Natural resource management
Keywords
solar arrayssolarNarragansett BayRhode IslandMassachusettsForestsclimate changeClimate Change ProcessesEarth Sciences not elsewhere classifiedEcological Impacts of Climate ChangeEcosystem FunctionEnvironmental Education and ExtensionEnvironmental ManagementEnvironmental ScienceEnvironmental Science and Management not elsewhere classifiedEnvironmental Sciences not elsewhere classifiedNatural Resource Management
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