People say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. The truth is, you knew what you had, you just never thought you’d lose it.

In this episode, I’m joined by Susan Burns, a member of the leadership team for the Mid Missouri Landowners Alliance, a grassroots organization working to educate landowners and communities about the rapid expansion of large-scale solar projects on Missouri farmland. Susan brings extensive knowledge and firsthand experience as she outlines the serious concerns surrounding these developments — from environmental and safety risks to property rights and government oversight.

🔥 Key Topics Discussed

⚠️ Safety & Environmental Concerns with Utility-Scale Solar

Susan details multiple risks associated with large solar installations, including:

* 🔥 Increased fire dangers, especially in rural areas where emergency response times can be longer.

* 💧 Potential chemical contamination, with concerns about substances leaching into soil and groundwater.

* 🌪️ Flying glass and debris during high-wind events and tornadoes, posing risks to nearby homes, farmland, livestock, and first responders.

Susan emphasizes that these risks are often downplayed or ignored, particularly when projects are fast-tracked.

🏡 Impacts on Neighboring Landowners

One of the most pressing issues discussed is how solar farms affect people who do not sign leases:

* 📉 Decreased neighboring property values

* Loss of peaceful enjoyment of property

* Lack of meaningful protections or compensation for those impacted

Susan explains that many landowners feel they have no voice once a project is approved.

🛑 Regulatory & Oversight Concerns

* Susan raises alarms about the absence of effective checks and balances, particularly with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

* She explains how many solar companies are receiving significant federal subsidies, which encourages rapid development while accountability lags behind.

☀️ Solar Efficiency Realities

We also discuss the technical and geographic realities of solar energy in Missouri:

* Most solar panels operate at only 17–20% efficiency

* According to NOAA data, Missouri averages approximately 17 days per year of full solar efficiency

This raises important questions about whether the environmental and land-use tradeoffs are justified by the actual energy output.

*While there is no NOAA dataset that literally says “Missouri has 17 full efficiency days per year,” here’s how one could come to the conclusion that Susan did:

* Solar photovoltaic systems operate at about 17–20% efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity.

* Missouri’s sunlight potential varies by season and cloud cover — average yearly sunshine (clear + partly sunny days) is under ~200–220 days in many areas when sun is present to some degree.

Although solar receives sunlight many days of the year, peak production only happens when sunlight intensity and panel conditions align (clear skies, optimal angle, moderate temperatures). That’s why practical output is much lower than ideal rated capacity.

🧾 Federal Policy & the Acceleration of Projects

There has been a widespread belief that recent federal legislation would slow or rein in green energy expansion. However, Susan explains how an 11th-hour change instead:

* Gave companies until July 4, 2026 to begin projects

* Allowed four additional years to complete construction

* Ensured they still receive full federal subsidies

Rather than stopping projects, this change has lit a fire under developers to move faster.

“Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1; Public Law 119-21), the federal tax incentives for solar and wind projects now require that a project begin construction by July 4, 2026 and be placed in service by December 31, 2027 in order to qualify for the Clean Energy Investment Credit (Section 48E) and the Clean Electricity Production Credit (Section 45Y) — provisions which were part of the final enacted text. Full bill text can be read at Congress.gov: H.R. 1, 119th Congress.

*If you want to do some more digging you can check out the IRS Notice 2025-42 (it’s only 500 pages!).

📜 Missouri Legislation to Review

During the episode, several Missouri bills were mentioned as potential steps in the right direction. I want to be clear: I have not fully studied these bills, so I am not comfortable giving a full endorsement of them at this time. I strongly encourage listeners to read them carefully and evaluate them constitutionally.

* 📄 SB 849 — Places a moratorium on construction of solar projects in Missouri.https://legiscan.com/MO/bill/SB849/2026

* 📄 SB 933 — Another Senate bill seeking a moratorium on solar projects.https://legiscan.com/MO/bill/SB933/2026

* 📄 HB 2477 — House bill creating a moratorium on solar with an emergency clause.https://legiscan.com/MO/bill/HB2477/2026

* 📄 SB 879 — Senate bill modifies and creates new provisions relating to electric utilities.https://legiscan.com/MO/bill/SB879/2026

* 📄 HB 2478 — House bill modifies provisions relating to utilities.https://legiscan.com/MO/bill/HB2478/2026

(Note: bills are in early legislative stages; these links go to official tracking pages.)

🏛️ A Host’s Reflection: Government, Property Rights & Local Control

This is where my own wrestling begins.

As many of you know, I firmly believe the Founders intended government to play a very limited role in our daily lives — primarily to protect the God-given rights of the people. That belief makes issues like planning and zoning complicated for me.

Susan believes — and I agree — that if regulation exists, it is better handled at the local level rather than the state. However, I continue to wrestle with important questions:

* Does the Missouri Constitution allow the legislature to delegate this authority without a constitutional amendment?

* Should government be involved in planning and zoning at all?

* Where is the line between personal property rights and harm to others, and who has the authority to define it?

Susan shared that she once opposed planning and zoning, but after witnessing the consequences of having none in place, she now supports it in situations like this. While I understand that shift, I’m still carefully weighing the broader implications. Because implementing panning and zoning never affects just one situation.

🐄 Slippery Slope or Legitimate Boundary?

I raise hypothetical concerns that go beyond solar:

* If zoning can restrict solar projects due to perceived harm, could it also be used against a hobby farmer selling raw milk?

* If officials believe something is harmful to the community, does that justify intervention?

Is that a stretch? Maybe. But in today’s America, I’m not convinced anything is off the table.

🙏 Final Thoughts

I learned a tremendous amount from Susan. She is incredibly knowledgeable, thoughtful, and motivated by a genuine desire to protect landowners, communities, and future generations.

The challenge lies in determining how we protect people without sacrificing foundational principles of liberty and property rights.

Please reach out to Susan if you have other questions. You can email or call her at 573-310-4655. You can also find out more about what’s going on in her county here.I also recommend checking out this website for some great information and receipts on what’s happening with current solar farms.

And as always, make sure to share this episode with others.

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