MAINE PUBLIC • March 17, 2025
State lawmakers heard competing testimony Monday on a bill that would require solar farm developers to shield their projects from public view. Sen. David Haggan said his bill aims to protect the Maine's scenic beauty by requiring some form of barrier around large arrays of solar panels. The Hampden Republican also told members of the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee that the measure will protect the views and property values of neighbors of solar energy developments that can cover dozens of acres of land. But Rob Wood, director of the Bureau of Land Resources at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection testified that the agency already has the ability to regulate the visual impacts of solar farms. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce also testified against the bill.