Solar panel misinformation, spread by bots and by neighbors, derailed a project in Cajun Country

Solar panel misinformation, spread by bots and by neighbors, derailed a project in Cajun Country

Rows of solar panels generate electricity at the University of Louisiana – Lafayette’s solar research lab, Oct. 10, 2025. (Photo: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)This story was reported with the help of a grant from Grist. NEW IBERIA  — Into a clear blue sky, the sweet-smelling smoke billows and spreads.  Farmers have been burning and harvesting sugarcane this way for generations, but the practice creates ash fallout and hazardous air pollutant…