(Possible) Trappist Solar Farm

[Luigi]

From the Trappist monks at Genesee Abbey in upstate New York - posted 11-27-16:

Solar Farm
One of the local electrical utilities company recently approached us with the question of whether or not we would be interested in devoting some of our acreage to a solar farm. One advantage to having it on our property is that the utility already has transmission lines running through the property. We have been discussing the pros and cons and posting position papers fo r the past couple of weeks to determine how the community feels about the proposal.

On Friday the Conventual Chapter voted on whether or not to have the electrical utility go ahead with a feasibility study of the proposal. The result was unanimously in favor. The land that is being considered is five hundred acres at the west edge of the property consisting of fields not the best for farming along with scrub lands. The majority of the community felt that the advantages including the harvesting of unlimited free solar energy from the atmosphere and reducing the use of fossil fuels for producing electricity far out weigh the few disadvantages we could think of. The next stage is for the power company to do a feasibility study.

[CountrySteve21]

I'm actually surprised that there hasn't been a Trappist community with a solar farm yet. Especially considering how echo-friendly most monks are.

[Luigi]

The Benedictine monks in Conception, MO, and the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration just down the road from them in Clyde, MO both have wind turbines on their land, and I don't think they supply just their own electricity - I think they generate power for the local electric company. 

I think the Trappist nuns in Massachusetts also have a wind turbine now, too. 

Actually, some of those monasteries in the Southwest would be perfect for solar farms - and they'd collect rent from the utility company, too!