SPANISH FORT — State lawmakers and local advocates gathered Wednesday at the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center to discuss legislation tied to a proposed 4,500-acre utility-scale solar project planned for Stockton, raising concerns about environmental impacts and local oversight.

State Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, and Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, held the press conference to outline several bills they say would slow or regulate large solar developments in Alabama, including the Silicon Ranch project proposed in northern Baldwin County.

As of March 2026, Simpson is sponsoring House Bills 617 and 618, which aim to pause and regulate the Stockton project by allowing county oversight on construction and creating the possibility of a one-year moratorium. Albritton has introduced Senate Bills 354 and 358, which address solar development statewide — one creating a temporary pause on new projects and the other giving certain county governments authority to regulate solar facilities.

Albritton said the proposed development raised concerns because many residents learned about it quickly and without local discussion.

“This came upon us quickly, without any discussions locally, without any knowledge,” Albritton said. “We need to know what’s happening in our communities. We need to know how it’s going to affect us.”

He said his legislation is intended to give both the state and counties more control while questions about large-scale solar development are addressed.

“To gain control over those matters, I filed two bills, SB 354 and SB 358,” Albritton said. “Alabama can control … until we find out the answers to these questions that the population has.”

Albritton said the goal is not to target a specific company but to ensure communities understand the potential impacts before projects move forward.

Simpson said he supports slowing the process to allow time to evaluate potential environmental effects on the region, including the nearby Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

“It’s always worth fighting for our environment, for our people,” Simpson said. “It’s not just the residents of Stockton. This can affect everyone in our county and in our state.”

Simpson said the legislation is intended to ensure the review process works as intended.

“We’re trying to slow down the process to work itself out the way it’s designed, the way it’s intended,” Simpson said. “To make sure that the environmental impacts that may affect generations from now are met.”

He added that residents should have time to raise concerns if standards are not being met.

“Give people the chance and the opportunity to catch it,” Simpson said.

Meagan Fowler, president of Friends of the Tensaw River, said many residents in Baldwin County feel uncertain about the scope of the proposed project and want more time to review it.

“I’m here to represent what many everyday residents in Baldwin County are feeling right now — concern, confusion and a desire to be heard,” Fowler said.

Fowler said some community members felt the project was introduced without enough communication.

“They say they want to be good neighbors, but good neighbors communicate,” Fowler said. “They knock on the door before they come in, and many in this community feel that this has happened to them, not with them.”

She said the group is asking lawmakers to support a moratorium so residents can better understand the long-term effects.

“This is why we’re asking for something very reasonable — time,” Fowler said. “Time to evaluate, time to understand the long-term impacts, time to put thoughtful, common-sense protection in place.”

Fowler said the effort is not meant to oppose development altogether.

“We are not anti-growth. We understand that development is coming, but we believe strongly that how and where it happens matters,” Fowler said. “Right now, the people of Baldwin County are asking our legislators to support the moratorium, not to stop progress, but to make sure we get it right, to protect our land, to protect our water and to protect the communities who call this place home.”

The proposed solar development in Stockton has drawn increasing attention in recent weeks as lawmakers consider new regulations and residents weigh the potential environmental and economic impacts of large-scale solar projects in the area.

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n .