Are solar panels depleting farmlands?

Farmland preservation groups believe 83 percent of new solar installations will come from farm and ranch lands with half of these installations on the richest land for food and crops. Solar energy is depleting farmlands of their rich soils in the U.S. Midwest.

Why is solar power destroying farmland?

While the leases provide for damage control, the land is being depleted of its rich top soil as the solar developers build their roads and other infrastructure. Solar power is just one more industry that is removing important farmland from production by offering much higher rents for the land than farmers can afford to pay.

Are solar energy facilities displacing farmland?

Driven by subsidies, mandates and federal and state policies compelling the use of more renewable energy, solar energy facilities are now displacing farmland at an increasing rate.

Could agrivoltaics help sustain rural farmland?

For communities, agrivoltaics could help keep farmland in production – and help sustain rural farmland economies. More research is needed, however, to understand whether – and under what conditions – communities are likely to support solar development if it combines both energy and agriculture.

Can agrivoltaics help reduce land-use conflict?

Agrivoltaics – the co-location of solar energy installations and agriculture beneath or between rows of photovoltaic panels – has the potential to help ease this land-use conflict. To address climate change, the Biden-Harris Administration set a goal to decarbonize the electricity sector by 2035.

Can farmers outbid wealthy solar developers?

Growers—most of whom lease at least a portion of their land—say they don’t have the resources to outbid wealthy solar developers. Illinois farmer Jim Reed says he hesitated when approached about a solar array on his Piatt County farm. “Piatt County has some of the best farm ground in the whole world,” he says.