The U.S. Department of Agriculture will no longer fund solar panels on productive farmland or allow solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries to be used in USDA projects.
Within the last 30 years, Tennessee alone has lost over 1.2 million acres of farmland and is expected to lose 2 million acres by 2027. This problem is not just in Tennessee, since 2012, solar panels on farmland nationwide have increased by nearly 50%
Subsidized solar farms are pricing farmers out of the market, according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollin.
“Our prime farmland should not be wasted and replaced with green new deal subsidized solar panels. It has been disheartening to see our beautiful farmland displaced by solar projects, especially in rural areas that have strong agricultural heritage. One of the largest barriers of entry for new and young farmers is access to land. Subsidized solar farms have made it more difficult for farmers to access farmland by making it more expensive and less available,” Rollins said. “We are no longer allowing businesses to use your taxpayer dollars to fund solar projects on prime American farmland, and we will no longer allow solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries to be used in our USDA-funded projects.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee welcomed the policy change.
“Tennesseans know that our farmland is our national security, our economic future, and our children's heritage. We were honored to welcome Secretary Rollins to Tennessee this week, and I’m grateful for her leadership to defend America’s farmland from foreign adversaries and protect our food supply,” Lee said.
Representative Mike Bost, a Republican from Southern Illinois, said that taxpayer subsidies shouldn't price farmers seeking to feed our nation.
“We shouldn’t be subsidizing solar projects on prime farmland, that land is too valuable for producing the food and fuel our nation depends on," Bost said in a statement. "Secretary Rollins is right to step in and make sure taxpayer dollars aren’t used to take our best farmland out of production, and I strongly support stopping the use of solar panels made by foreign adversaries. I’m proud to see that the Trump Administration continues to be committed to protecting American agriculture."
Effective immediately, USDA will implement the following programmatic actions: For the USDA Rural Development Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program wind and solar projects are not eligible.
For the USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program Guaranteed Loan Program, USDA will ensure that American farmers, ranchers and producers utilizing wind and solar energy sources will install units that are right-sized for their facilities. If project applications include ground mount solar photovoltaic systems larger than 50kW or ground mount solar photovoltaic systems that cannot document historical energy usage, they will no longer be eligible for the REAP Guaranteed Loan Program, and priority points will no longer be given for REAP grants. USDA Rural Development invests in rural America with loan, grant, and loan guarantee programs to promote rural prosperity.
The commitment and resources we bring to rural communities help drive economic security and prosperity. Our programs expand access to high-speed internet, electric, and transportation infrastructure, and support business growth, healthcare, education, housing, and other community essentials.