An unfortunate kerfuffle has risen between those wanting to preserve prime agricultural land — some of it lying fallow in Connecticut's moribund farming economy — and another constituency also on the green side of things seeking more renewable energy through photo­voltaics.

The solar energy advocates look at the big, open, unused farm fields and forestland as an ideal environment for growing their own crop of clean energy. The ag land preservationists see solar farms as the antipathy of farming and argue that the installations will be permanent and, even if not permanent, will preclude potential future agricultural use.

There are no easy answers, but if there is one thing that is clear at this juncture it is that we need to know more, we need to talk more about alternative approaches and we need state and local governments to take the initiative to make both good things possible at the same time.