Solar farms are being built across the country, and one planned in Barren County, which has prompted concerns from nearby Mammoth Cave National Park, is in the offing.

Park officials have asserted communication problems with the company Geenex, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based company which intends to build solar panels across more than 2,300 acres in Barren.

Barren County essentially has no applicable zoning regulations, so the local government cannot stop the project, but Mammoth Cave National Park has shared its concerns with the state.

“The (National Park Service) has unsuccessfully sought clarity to specific questions (1) would electricity be stored on-site in batteries? (2) what type of batteries would be used? (3) what steps or measures would be installed to prevent leaking or spilling of chemicals from these batteries, or other specific infrastructure … ,” a letter dated April 15 from park Superintendent Barclay Trimble to the Kentucky Public Service Commission states.

“Since these questions remain unanswered after multiple attempts to have dialogue with (Geenex) LLC over the past several months, the NPS is choosing to speak out in opposition of this project … .”

This clean-energy sector has not been without problems at times. According to a 2022 Popular Science magazine article, Dustin Mulvaney, an environmental studies professor at San José State University in California whose research focuses on solar energy commodity chains, says … “Violations (can) be “really manageable problems” that the companies should have had under control. “Where (solar farms often) go wrong is they assume they understand the landscape,” Mulvaney says. But when building starts, “they run into endangered species conflicts, stormwater issues, and air pollution issues.”

We certainly are not suggesting there would be problems, but a careful and open analysis on any potential effects on the park ecosystem would no doubt provide clarity for the park and Barren County residents.