The Farm Beat: A Little Ag History

One thing struck me at Tuesday's meeting of the Modesto Irrigation District board, where it discussed incentives for solar power on commercial rooftops. The district staff understandably is concerned about high prices for solar compared with wind, gas, hydro and other sources. One proponent of the solar projects asked the board to think back to the 1880s, when MID was formed and landowners debated whether they should be taxed to build canals. The speaker said the construction likely was expensive at the time, but the result was a canal system that feeds farms and hydropower plants to this day.

Something roughly similar could happen with solar - paying a lot now to get this industry off the ground, but benefitting decades from now from a clean, local energy source that does not require constant fuel purchases.

I'm not offering an opinion on what MID should pay for solar. I can see the arguments either way. What I do like, though, is to hear a bit of history mixed into current issues in a public meeting. What happened before informs every debate, whether it's energy, health care, crime or the stock market.