LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Solar panels have popped up all over the Lexington area in the last few years. People can’t get enough of climate-friendly energy sources.

But there are some places in Fayette County where residents think solar panels don’t belong, which was discussed today in Frankfurt.

The community came together to voice their opinions on a plan for a new large-scale solar facility to be located on Fayette County’s agricultural lands.

“It may be beneficial for homeowners, it may be beneficial for businesses, but we are here to protect the business of agriculture,” said Jason Whitis with the Fayette County Farm Bureau.

Whitis believes solar power doesn’t belong near local farms.

“It’s important to voice our opinion and let them know where we stand, where the community stands, because these things directly impact Fayette County,” Whitis added.

He believes the plan would harm other natural resources, such as rich soil, which could affect horses, cattle, crops and more.

“Taking a large 388 acres of land and turning it into a solar farm, that’s prime farmland,” Whitis said.

“Our farms are our businesses. They create jobs and make up a large part of our economy. So if we retire a farm, eliminate economic development, and build a solar farm, that’s a really bad trade-off,” Mayor Linda Gorton said.

He agrees and thinks there are other ways to make Lexington greener. But putting solar panels on something this valuable is not one of them.

“A solar farm does not create jobs for Fayette County and does not produce a product for Fayette County. So we object to that,” Gordon said.

Mayor Gorton or Whitis believes the plan will cause problems for horses, cattle, crops and more.

Both agree that there are many suitable places for solar farms in the region. But the problem is that “they want to put them in our prime agricultural areas. That’s our real disagreement.”