Baldwin County residents are up in arms over a proposed 4,500-acre solar panel project, which will support a Meta Data Center in Montgomery, over 100 miles away. The project, approved by the Alabama Public Service Commission, has left many residents feeling 'blindsided' and concerned about its impact on their community.
The project, set to be built in Stockton, has sparked a Facebook group called 'Stop Solar in Stockton' with over 2,000 members. The group's co-founder, Meagan Fowler, expressed outrage at the lack of notice given to the citizens of Baldwin County, who were given zero notice of the project's plans. The town hall meeting, scheduled for February 9 at the Stockton Civic Club, is expected to be well-attended, with plans to move it outdoors due to the anticipated large turnout.
The property, sold in 2024 to Stockton I-65 LLC and registered to Roberts Development Co. in Mobile, will be purchased by Silicon Ranch, a solar energy company, to build the project funded by Meta. The project aims to generate energy for the Alabama Power Company and offset the power used by the data center.
However, residents have criticized the manner in which the property was bought and sold, and the Baldwin County Commission has stated that it has very limited authority over the use of private property in unincorporated and un-zoned areas. Laura Chancey-Lane, another co-founder of 'Stop Solar in Stockton', argues that the property transactions should still be scrutinized, even if they were not illegal.
Environmental concerns are also at the forefront of residents' minds. The property is located on the edge of the Mobile Tensaw-Delta River, home to wetlands and federally protected and endangered species like Gopher tortoises and Brazilian water grasses. Nick Williams, a board member for Mobile Baykeeper, expressed his fears about the potential environmental impact of the project, citing the need for timber cutting and dirt work, which can disturb the Earth.
These concerns are further compounded by the fact that Silicon Ranch properties have been found to violate environmental regulations. In 2023, a judge awarded a Georgia couple $135 million in damages after their property was damaged by sedimentation runoff caused by a Silicon Ranch solar farm. In February 2026, it was reported that an environmentalist told the local Planning and Zoning Commission that Silicon Ranch was not in compliance with erosion and stormwater regulations.
Despite the concerns, the solar project is set to be fully constructed and operational by December 31, 2028. However, Fowler argues that Stockton, being the first historic landmark district in Alabama, should be open to growth, but not at the cost of a solar panel farm to power a data center 150 miles away. She believes that the community wants something that adds to it, not destroys it.
The controversy surrounding the project highlights the complex relationship between renewable energy development and local communities, raising questions about the balance between environmental sustainability and community impact.
