Farming the Sun: How Domestic Solar Strengthens Rural America

Drive through much of rural America today and you’ll see something new on the horizon: solar panels rising from land that has been farmed for generations. These projects are not replacing agriculture. They are helping sustain it. In towns once defined by economic uncertainty, solar development is giving farmers and rural communities a new source of stability, income, and pride.

As solar development expands across rural America, some have raised concerns about its impact on farmland and traditional agriculture. One voice you will not hear raising these concerns is the actual farmers in these areas. They are seeing with their own eyes that solar projects are supporting traditional agriculture by creating new economic opportunities for farmers, providing stable lease income, strengthening local tax bases, and helping preserve family land for future generations. Rather than competing with agriculture, solar energy is becoming an important partner in sustaining rural economies, ensuring that both farms and the local economy can grow with inexpensive, non-polluting electricity as a foundation.

A Tough Business: Why Farmers Need Stability

For many farmers, this partnership is personal. Modern agriculture is one of the most capital-intensive businesses in the United States. A single piece of equipment can cost as much as a small house, fertilizer and fuel prices swing wildly from year to year, and property taxes continue to rise, even in bad harvest seasons. Farmers shoulder large upfront costs each spring with no guarantee of a return until the crops come in months later. The margin for error is thin, and even a small disruption, such as a drought, market dip, or broken tractor, can threaten an entire operation. 

Solar projects help ease the burden. Lease payments from solar provide something rare in agriculture: predictable, long-term income. For many families, that steady revenue covers property taxes, repairs, and loan payments that might otherwise strain their finances. It helps offset input costs that have surged in recent years, from diesel fuel to fertilizer, and provides a financial cushion that keeps farms in family hands instead of being sold to developers or corporate buyers. According to the Purdue University–CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, in early 2024, over half of farmers who discussed a solar leasing project reported being offered annual payments of $1,000 per acre or more, a return that far exceeds what most farms could earn from crop production on the same land in a typical year.

Local governments benefit as well. Each solar installation adds to the tax base, providing new funding for schools, fire departments, and critical infrastructure. Rural counties that once relied almost entirely on seasonal revenue from agriculture now have a stable, multi-year source of income they can plan around. In many cases, that new tax revenue allows communities to repair roads, expand broadband, and invest in services that make rural life more sustainable for the next generation.

A Real-World Example: Snipesville Solar Ranch

In many cases, solar and agriculture coexist on the same land. From grazing livestock beneath panels to planting traditional crops that feed families, “agrivoltaic” projects demonstrate that solar installations can complement, rather than compete with, farming. Unlike permanent conversion for housing or industrial use, solar development is compatible with ongoing farming operations and preserves the land’s long-term agricultural potential - panels have a light footprint on the land and can be removed if they are no longer compatible with intended agricultural use.

At Snipesville Solar Ranch in Jeff Davis County, Georgia, Silicon Ranch is demonstrating how solar energy and agriculture can thrive side by side. The 2,600-acre site uses SEMA member First Solar’s U.S.-manufactured thin-film modules under a long-term supply agreement between the two companies, a partnership that supports American manufacturing and rural investment. Onsite, Silicon Ranch integrates managed sheep grazing as part of its Regenerative Energy® program, maintaining healthy soil and vegetation while reducing maintenance costs. The project employs local agrivoltaic technicians who manage both the flocks and the solar operations, keeping the land productive and the community engaged.

Together, this collaboration demonstrates how domestically made solar can strengthen rural economies and preserve agricultural traditions. Projects like Snipesville reflect what true American energy dominance looks like: homegrown manufacturing, productive farmland, and communities that benefit from both. As more farms and energy producers work in tandem, the result is a stronger and more self-reliant rural economy that keeps American energy and agriculture growing together.

A Small Footprint, A Big Return

As people grapple with the dramatic expansion of electricity demand, some are concerned about the amount of land they think is needed to host large projects and whether it will crowd out other uses. However, farms provide a natural, symbiotic solution. They offer the open space required for solar fields while benefiting from the long-term stability these projects bring. With thoughtful siting and community planning, farmland can serve both purposes, continuing to support food production while powering homes, businesses, and nearby towns, while keeping power prices affordable.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, solar projects covered about 336,000 acres of rural land in 2020, comparable to less than 0.04 percent of the nation’s 897 million acres of farmland. Even if the USDA’s typical assumption that roughly 70 percent of those sites were built on former farmland and the land is entirely taken out of production (often not the case in recent years) that would amount to less than 1.2 percent of the 20 million acres of farmland lost nationwide since 2017. Updated modeling by the American Farm Bureau Federation, published in August 2024, shows that even with U.S. solar capacity having more than doubled since 2020, total land used for solar amounts to about 1.25 million acres, or just 0.14 percent of all U.S. farmland. In short, today’s rapid solar expansion uses only a fraction of one percent of the nation’s 879 million acres of working farmland, a small footprint that generates meaningful income, supports rural communities, pairs well with agricultural practices, and can be fully restored to traditional farming if the land is ever needed back.

The long-term outlook for solar in agricultural regions is one of balance and resilience. As farmers look to diversify revenue and manage the pressures of weather, drought, and volatile markets, solar provides an adaptable tool that helps keep land in family hands rather than sold for development. It is about putting it to work in new ways that strengthen rural communities, create good-paying American jobs, and build a more resilient and affordable energy and agricultural future. Every U.S.-made panel that is deployed represents new investment in American workers, from factory floors to family farms. By connecting manufacturing growth with on-the-ground agricultural opportunity, solar is helping deliver on a broader vision of national strength and rural prosperity. It is proof that solar and traditional industries can grow together, supporting the communities that power both.