But last year, opposition to solar farms became so heated here that speakers at Iberia Parish Council meetings were brought to tears. Hundreds of residents successfully mounted a campaign opposing a proposed utility-scale solar project that would have been sited northeast of town. Opponents voiced fears that solar panels would destroy farms and poison the soil. Misinformation has become one of the primary hurdles for utility-scale solar projects like the one once planned here. Also, because solar panels are mostly made of non-flammable materials like steel, glass and aluminum, they will not catch fire.