As the solar industry expands rapidly across the Midwest, there are growing concerns that some of the region’s most productive farmland is being put at risk. Farmers like Dave Duttlinger in Indiana are experiencing firsthand the negative impacts of solar development on their land.
Duttlinger leased about 445 acres of his 1,200-acre farm to Dunns Bridge Solar LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, one of the world’s largest renewable energy companies. Despite contractual obligations to minimize damage and disturbance, Duttlinger says the construction activities have severely impacted the quality of his land.
Grading and reshaping the landscape has spread fine sand across large stretches of rich topsoil, rendering much of the land beneath the solar panels unsuitable for growing crops. Duttlinger says he’ll “never be able to grow anything on that field again,” a sentiment echoed by other farmers and agricultural experts.
The solar industry’s push into the Midwest is driven by cheaper land rents, access to electric transmission, and generous federal and state incentives. However, a Reuters analysis of federal, state, and local data, court records, and interviews with over 100 stakeholders, reveals that this renewable energy boom is risking some of America’s most productive soils.
Some of the land now covered in solar panels is classified by the USDA as the most productive for growing crops. While solar leases can offer lucrative payments, often $900 to $1,500 per acre per year, they can also irreparably damage the land’s long-term agricultural potential.
Agricultural economists and agronomists warn that the loss of even small amounts of the best cropland, combined with the erosion and runoff caused by solar farm construction, can have significant impacts on future crop production in the United States.
The solar industry and some renewable energy developers argue that they are designing sites to allow for crop growth between panels or using livestock grazing as part of their land management. However, many experts counter that these measures are not enough to offset the damage to the most valuable farmland.
As the competition for land increases, with urban sprawl and development also contributing to farmland loss, the tension between renewable energy expansion and preserving agricultural productivity is likely to intensify. Policymakers and industry stakeholders will need to find a balance that supports clean energy goals while protecting the nation’s precious soil resources.