A massive hailstorm that destroyed a solar farm in southeastern Texas earlier this month, has led to investigation over health concerns and raised questions about the reliability of “sustainable” energy sources.
The March 15 hailstorm ruined hundreds of solar panels on a 3,000-acre solar farm in Fort Bend County, a rural area just southwest of Houston, leaving the panels to look like they’d been shot with machine guns.
The storm, which also damaged numerous homes, businesses, and property in the area, has prompted questions about the durability and reliability of solar panels. The Needville area has more than 10,000 acres of solar farms, with some being up and running and other under construction.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Tex.) represents the community surrounding the solar farm and is engaged with those whose homes, businesses and property were destroyed by the storm, according to spokesperson Emily Matthews.
“As far as solar farms being damaged where hail and tornadoes are common, those companies knowingly run the risk of building solar panel farms in these areas,” Mr. Matthews told Fox News Digital.
“Events like this underscore the importance of having an all-of-the-above energy approach to meet our energy needs and showcase how our country cannot solely rely on or fully transition to renewable energy sources like this.”
Concerns about the broken panels leaking dangerous and toxic chemicals into the soil have also come into play—significant concerns given the reliance on well water from residents and farmers in the area.
“My concern is the hail damage that came through and busted these panels—we now have some highly toxic chemicals that could be potentially leaking into our water tables,” Needville resident Nick Kaminski told KRIV-TV.
“I have a family—two children and a wife. My neighbors have kids and a lot of other residents in the area who are on well water are concerned that the chemicals are now leaking into our water tables.”
Local residents said they were unable to receive feedback from the owners of Fighting Jays Solar Farm, the damaged installation, according to KRIV-TV.
According to Needville Mayor Chad Nesvadba, the incident is under investigation by the Fort Bend County Environmental Health Department. He also said that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been contacted to investigate potential chemical contamination of ground water.
In the meantime, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the parent company of the developer of the impacted solar farm, said that the incident should pose no risk to the community.
“The silicon-based panels contain no cadmium telluride and we have identified no risk to the local community or the environment,” the company stated.
“We are currently assessing the extent of the impact of the storm on the generation of the project, while the plant continues to safely operate at a reduced capacity,” the group told Fox News.
The solar farm’s destruction comes at a time when the Biden administration is firmly pushing the transition from fossil fuels to green energy alternatives.
However, these strategies have faced criticism from experts who question their practical feasibility, given that many of these energy sources depend on uncontrollable weather conditions.
The geopolitical implications are also an issue of concern, notably the disproportionate dependency on China for the supply of solar panels and raw materials needed for manufacturing EV batteries, amongst other things.
