To the Public Forum:

“Who Will Right The Ship”

I know of no one who has been more of a pest to their friends and family than I have over the subject of solar electric farms in North Carolina. (Not to be confused with roof top solar panels on homes with battery storage.) You cannot drive anywhere and miss seeing a solar farm near the highway. I am the only person I know who has made a study of the small amount of electric power they generate. Must I remind you we have almost 5 hours per day less sun light in December than we have in June. This 5 hours is lost in the middle of the day. The sun does not shine at night. We have many rain showers and days with no sun. Their electric power is produced in the middle of the day, not during the peak demand period of the afternoon. There is no battery storage.

After losing this battle for several years we have finally gotten some help for our cause. The “National Review” magazine has published an article in their October 28, 2019 issue, by Dr. Benjamin Zycher, PhD, supporting our beliefs. Solar farms are an economic failure. Dr. Zycher happens to be the most outstanding economists in America and has a list of accomplishments as long as your arm. Will his information have any effect on the political climate here? Certainly mine has had very little. We have spent more than $6.8 billion in North Carolina on these solar electric plants and asked no hard questions.

Lawrence A. Watts Jr., P. E.

Greenville

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