Net metering battles have surged in recent years. As 2021 begins, the same old fights are ongoing. January 12, 2021 Russell Schiermeier graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in mechanical engineering. But a decade ago, he bought a few hundred acres near the Snake River in Idaho’s high desert and began to farm. In the years since, his farm has grown to encompass more than 3,000 acres with crops such as alfalfa, corn and peppermint, and Schiermeier has experimented with carbon sequestration and cover cropping. Two years ago, Schiermeier installed solar panels to power the irrigation pumps that provide essential water to his crops. “That’s kind of the rub in Idaho. We’ve got such a wonderful growing season...but we just don’t have any water,” he said.