If we want to protect Iowa farmland, we should trust Iowa’s farmers and not let small groups of anti-renewable activists take control away from them.
NIMBYs Taking Control
These groups – often called NIMBYs for “Not-in-My-Backyard” – claim to protect farmland but what they really want to do is decide what happens on other people’s property.
Wind and solar farms are placed on farmland because the farmer or landowner makes that decision about their own land. That’s as it should be. Iowa farmers paid for their land, they sweat and bleed for their land. They protect that land for their own livelihoods and for future generations.
But when it comes to wind or solar, it’s the NIMBYs who want to wrest control from the farmers, not the renewable energy companies.
Anti-wind NIMBYs in Clinton County parade around with a banner calling for banning wind – hardly the spirit of compromise.
NIMBYs Propose an Avalanche of Red Tape Affecting Farmers
An anti-wind group in Clinton County is preparing to offer 39+ pages of new regulations for the county wind ordinance. But their purpose isn’t to merely amend the ordinance with their avalanche of new regulations, it is to ban wind. Why else would they parade around town pulling a trailer with a wind turbine and a “ban wind” banner?
The truth is, NIMBYs aren’t just saying “not in my backyard”; they’re saying “not in YOUR backyard.” They’re dictating what their neighbors can and cannot do with their own property. That’s why this isn’t just an attack on clean energy—it’s an attack on YOUR property rights.
Your Property Rights at Risk
Despite statewide surveys showing more than 70% of Iowans support renewable energy projects, the NIMBY movement has gained traction in recent years, with local opposition to renewable energy projects causing a 73% increase in anti-renewable energy restrictions last year alone. That means farmers who needed and wanted the income from harvesting the sun or wind are left empty handed.
This kind of opposition isn’t just unreasonable; it’s dangerous. If NIMBYs can dictate that you can’t lease your land for wind or solar development, what’s next? Will they decide you can’t paint a barn or plant a certain crop because they don’t like the way it looks? The slippery slope is real, and it begins with the erosion of property rights in the name of what the neighbors want to see when they look out their windows.
Reasonable Agreements Can be Reached
The renewable energy sector has shown time and again that reasonable agreements can be reached to mitigate the impact of solar and wind farms on non-participating landowners. These agreements include buffer zones, visual screening, and noise reduction measures that address legitimate concerns while still allowing projects to move forward.
Communities Benefit from Renewables
And what happens to the community when farmers decide to add wind or solar to their crops? Our communities prosper. Local taxes paid by the wind and solar projects inject millions of dollars into county coffers – money that:
- fixes schools
- fills potholes
- provides equipment for our first responders
These projects create good jobs for local workers. And careers for the next generation of Iowans who can find work in the growing technology or manufacturing sector drawn to states with access to clean energy.
We Must Push Back
The stakes are high. With NIMBYs winning victories at the local level, it’s more important than ever to stand up for property rights and clean energy. If we don’t push back against this movement, we risk losing not only the benefits of renewable energy but also the right to make decisions about what we do with our own property.
