USDA: Solar energy development varies by region

(NAFB.com) – Solar energy development is concentrated in the Atlantic and Western regions of the United States, especially California, North Carolina and Massachusetts, according to new data from the USDA Economic Research Service. These states are among those with policies promoting the development of renewable energy – most of them in rural areas. Between 2016 and 2020, utility-scale solar power capacity in rural areas more than doubled, reaching 45 gigawatts, or 3.7 percent of U.S. electrical capacity, and the number of solar PV projects increased from 2,316 to 3,364. About 70 percent of solar PV projects installed in 2009–2020 in rural areas were located on agricultural land. It is estimated that approximately 336,000 acres of rural land have been directly affected by solar development. USDA presented this data in a recent report that examined land cover and land cover change associated with solar and wind farms from 2009 to 2020.