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Rural communities, where most solar development occurs, already have concerns about surface and groundwater quality and safety. Nitrate levels in drinking water not only create financial burdens but also pose health and safety risks, while rivers, streams, and lakes are frequently impaired by sediment and phosphorus. In this context, communities evaluating new proposals for large-scale solar projects often raise concerns about the impact of solar on their drinking and surface waters, recreational areas, and ecosystems.
The Minnesota Department of Health has been exploring how communities can not only protect their groundwater and surface water assets but also leverage solar development to improve water quality outcomes and limit the need for water treatment, new wells, or additional regulation of land uses. Communities and state regulators can choose to use solar development as “green infrastructure” for health, safety, and ecosystem benefits.
This webinar will present the science behind turning development risk into reward for local waters. Dr. David Mulla, an internationally known soil scientist from the University of Minnesota, will present the results of four years of field research regarding the impacts of solar on soil, stormwater, and infiltration/runoff.
We’ll follow the presentation with a discussion of how science informs best practices and provides an opportunity for communities and the state to capture water co-benefits and streamline permitting for developers.
