The North Carolina town of Woodland quashed plans for a solar farm project after two residents told officials they were afraid it might kill plants, cause cancer and vacuum up the sun’s energy.

Bobby Mann told the Woodland Town Council that the proposed solar panels by Strata Solar Company would “suck up all the energy from the sun and businesses would not come to Woodland,” according to the Roanoke-Chowan Herald-News.

Mann’s wife, Jane, a retired science teacher, said the solar technology might interfere with nearby plants’ ability to carry out photosynthesis and cause them to stop growing. “She added that no one could tell her solar panels didn’t cause cancer,” the Huffington Post reported.

Councilor Ron Lane told The News & Observer that the town was subjected to vulgar voice mails and hate mail from around the country in response to the news.

Lane also said Woodland had already approved three major solar farms within the past year, and that the decision to reject the fourth had more to do with space and location because it “would have completely boxed the town in with solar farms.”

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Solar Farm Rejected Amid Fears It Will ‘Suck Up the Sun’s Energy’ (by Lee Moran, Huffington Post)

Woodland Rejects Solar Farm (by Keith Hoggard, Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald)

North Carolina Town Rejects Solar Farm Over Fears It Would ‘Suck Up All the Energy from the Sun’ (by Avaneesh Pandey, International Business Times)

L.A. Deals Deadly Blow to Fed-Backed Mojave Solar Plant Enviros Hate (by Ken Broder, AllGov California)

Solar Farm in the Mojave Seen Igniting One Bird Every Two Minutes (by Ken Broder, AllGov California)

Pilots Say Glare from Newly-Opened Ivanpah Solar Farm Is Blindingly Dangerous (by Ken Broder, AllGov California)