Frequently asked questions

Who is involved?

Who is Clearway Energy?

Clearway is one of the Top 5 largest renewable energy companies in the United States. We are creating clean energy jobs, investing in communities where we work and live, and producing domestic, reliable and affordable power. Our fleet includes 13 GW of natural gas, solar, wind and energy storage assets across 27 states - enough to power 2 million homes. Clearway Energy Group is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Princeton, and San Diego. For more information, visit clearwayenergygroup.com.

Who is paying for the project?

Clearway Energy solar farms are entirely privately funded, bringing new investment into the communities where they are located.

No tax dollars go into building Clearway energy projects. Instead, the community gains new revenue through any local property, sales, or income taxes that the projects pay. This grows the budget for schools, first responders and other public services without increasing taxes for residents.

Land use & the environment

Why do farmers put solar on their land?

Our partnering landowners are electing to temporarily rest their fields, completely voluntarily, as is their right. These leases bring in stable income every year, no matter the weather or crop prices. They can make a huge difference for farmers wanting to keep their farm in the family, protecting it from permanent forms of development.

Learn more about leasing land with Clearway.

How does Clearway site projects responsibly?

Clearway strives to minimize potential impacts when siting projects by evaluating existing site conditions, land use restrictions, and state and federal databases and geographic information system (GIS) resources to look for protected species and habitat. Once a project site is selected, we conduct biological, cultural, and wetland resource studies to further understand the specific site conditions. The information gathered from environmental surveys is used to inform our site design so that our projects can avoid impacting sensitive resources to the extent practicable.

Do solar farms release pollution into the land or water?

Solar panels are designed to be safe and durable for the long-term, made with the same kind of tempered glass found in hurricane-proof windows. Like your cellphone, they are designed to crack and not shatter. They also don’t contain fluids that can leak or pollute the soil or water, even if badly cracked, and no part of the panel is buried underground.

Small amounts of conductive metals are in solid form are either chemically bonded together or encased in tempered glass and plastic to prevent exposure to the environment. Clearway currently requires that all solar panels we procure undergo EPA Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) testing to ensure no toxic leaching can occur, even if heavily damaged.

Learn more here: ACP_Solar-Panels_are_Safe-for-Your-Community_FactSheet.pdf

Impacts for neighbors

Do solar farms impact nearby property values?

That’s a common concern, but there’s no solid evidence that solar lowers nearby property values. In fact, a 2020 study by the University of Rhode Island found no consistent negative impact, and sometimes modest increases in property value, when solar is well-sited and buffered.

How much noise will the solar farm produce?

Once the project is operating, the project will produce minimal noise. Solar panels create no noise at all. Inverters and transformers typically have a low hum like an HVAC system, but can only be heard close to the equipment and usually not beyond the fence line. If a project is a tracking system, then the panels and racking will move throughout the day, but again the amount of noise produced is minimal and typically not heard by surrounding areas.

Site removal

What happens at the end of the project's life? Where does the equipment go?

In general, solar projects are scheduled to last for 25-45 years. Clearway Energy dismantles our solar farms at the end of their lives, with a commitment to recycling the solar panels used. The process includes safely disposing of or recycling materials such as solar panels and concrete, as well as restoring the land to its natural state by planting native vegetation.

At the Swan Energy Center, Clearway will provide a detailed decommissioning plan and execute a decommissioning agreement with Bates County to create a legally binding commitment.

Can solar panels be recycled?

Solar panel recycling is growing fast. Glass, aluminum, and silicon—the primary components of a panel-- can all be recovered. Clearway commits to recycling all solar panels used at this project.

Learn more here: Solar farm removal & recycling fact sheet

Why solar?

Frequently asked questions

Who is involved?

Land use & the environment

Impacts for neighbors

Site removal

Solar learning resources

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