Center for Rural Affairs report: Solar development has minimal impact on agricultural land use

“Sifting through Solar: Land-Usecers on Prime Farmland” is available for download

PUBLISHED ON May 22, 2024

LYONS, On B. – As renewable energy development increases in rural areas, there are growing concerns about protecting farmland, especially from utility-scale solar projects.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that solar will occupy 10.3 million acres of land in the country by 2050, 90% of which will be in rural areas. To address concerns about utility-scale solar systems taking up large areas of prime agricultural land, some local and state officials have proposed and even imposed restrictions prohibiting it.

Alex Delworth, policy associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, said the restrictions were concerning.

“They may devastate the development of solar energy, not to mention raising questions about private property rights,” he said. “In one case, we found a county-level restriction on prime agricultural land that eliminated 75% of potentially developable land in that area.”

While utility-scale solar projects may seem intimidating amid concerns about land retirement, a new report from the Center for Rural Affairs found that their overall impact on agricultural land use is minimal.

“Sifting Through Solar: Land-Use Concerns on Prime Farmland,” written by Delworth, discusses how constraints are designed and forecasts the impact of solar development on prime farmland in the Midwest.

The Department of Energy projects that 210 to 420 GW of solar projects will be needed in the Midwest by 2050 to meet federal decarbonization standards. According to the report, if the entire projected solar installation were built on prime agricultural land in the region, it would occupy between 1.45% and 2.9%.

The report also discusses potential short-term impacts in Iowa and Minnesota.

Delworth said that if every acre currently proposed for solar development in Iowa were developed on farmland with the state’s highest 14% rating (Corn Suitability Score of 90, or CSR and above), it would occupy 0.54% of all acres. Moreover, the proposed photovoltaic installation would occupy only 0.14% of the 62% of the highest rated agricultural land (65 CSR and above).

The projected impact on Minnesota is also minimal. If the current proposed number of acres were on prime agricultural land, it would cover less than 0.3% of the land, according to the report.

Delworth hopes local, county and state officials will take the report’s findings into account when deciding the future of solar development in their areas.

“Implementing policies that work with, rather than restrict, solar development will open up economic opportunities for rural residents who want to voluntarily lease their land,” Delworth said. Renewable energy projects also generate tax revenue for counties, schools and emergency services, and create employment opportunities in rural areas.

To read and download a copy of “Sifting Through Solar: Land-Use Concerns on Prime Farmland,” visit cfra.org/sifting-through-solar.

— Center for Rural Affairs