The Berens’ solar project would have generated about $1m in annual tax revenue that would have been split between the county and its school for 35 years – money that could have gone a long way toward solving some of these challenges. During negotiations with his family over the use of its land, Berens said, Doral also agreed to upgrade the rugged gravel roads its crews would use during construction and to plant native grasses under the panels that could provide fodder for sheep.

In 2023, however, just as the solar industry was getting rolling, then governor Kristi Noem chose not to take advantage of funding through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar For All program, which offered $7bn for solar projects in low-income communities. She also opted out of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, which would have given the state $3m toward reducing emissions after filling out a form less than a page long

FFS lol :)