Is this one of those articles from a site like the onion, or is this actually a thing…
Just for emphasis…
In this story, we see both the cause and effect of our abysmal science education in this country.
Well… She is sort of correct! A solar panel farm as pictured in the article will prevent most plants from growing underneath them. 
Quite an efficient weed control measure - use solar panels in the place of weed barrier fabric. 
Other than that, I have no words.
My science teacher husband is beside himself over this idiocy.
Yeah… this makes me embarrassed to admit I live in North Carolina.
After becoming a global laughingstock there was an article in today’s (Charlotte) paper that put it in context. They couldn’t explain those crazy quotes, but the town already has 3 solar farms and people didn’t want to be completely hemmed in by a fourth.
Mr. B is dead serious about turning the weediest part of our backyard into a solar panel farm - to provide fuel for his (at ghis point inaginary) Tesla and to relieve me from weeding that part.
Nope, he is not concerned about sucking the energy away from the neighbors’ plants.
I had some science teachers tell my kids some kooky things when they were little. Science isn’t a serious subject at most elementary schools.