To the Editor:

I want to use a small portion of my family’s farmland here in Berne to host a solar project [“Farmer concerned over delay in proposed Berne solar project,” The Altamont Enterprise, Oct. 29, 2025].

I respect that the town has taken time to think this solar law through but, at a certain point, it stops feeling like due diligence and starts feeling unclear and drawn out. Like many in our town, I believe strongly in property rights, personal responsibility, and keeping control of our future at the local level.

I will still own the land. I’m choosing to lease a portion of it so the rest can remain exactly what it is: open, working farmland for cattle and hay.

The reality is farming in New York in 2026 isn’t easy. Costs continue to rise, margins are tight, and there’s constant pressure on family farms like mine. Everyday I think about what it will take to keep this land in my family for the next generation. This project gives me a way to do that in a way I am proud of.

I know some neighbors are concerned about how this could affect the views that make Berne special. I share that concern. But I’ve been directly involved in how this project is being planned, and it’s not being placed in a way that dominates the landscape.

It’s being carefully sited, using natural topography and screening to limit visibility as much as possible. You can see from the results of the balloon/flag study in 2025 that none (zero) of my fellow residents reported seeing the proposed project from around town.

There’s also a bigger picture to consider. Energy commodities, from diesel to heating fuel, continue to rise, often driven by factors far beyond our control. This project is one way to produce power here in New York using a reliable, clean resource. It’s a practical step toward more predictable, American-made energy, generated right here in communities like ours.

At the same time, this project would bring new revenue to Berne through a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement. That means much-needed funding for our schools, infrastructure, and essential emergency services without adding pressure on those systems.

It doesn’t bring new students, traffic, or strain on town resources. It simply adds to the tax base. In a town where property taxes are already a concern, that kind of steady revenue matters.

What can be difficult to say, but is still true, is that people often value the idea of farmland more than the reality of what it takes to sustain it. Everyone wants open space. Fewer people are willing to confront the economics behind keeping it that way.

Supporting this project is, in my view, a responsible way to protect agriculture and do my part to keep Berne the kind of place we all value.

RIC Energy published a website for this project which I highly suggest you visit, www.bernesolar.com

Jody Jansen and family

Berne