The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has found that solar only occupies 0.07% of U.S. farmland in an interactive map the organization published today.
The new tool comes amid Farm Bill negotiations in Congress and growing misinformation and targeted scrutiny of solar development and agricultural land use. The map shows that solar occupies a small share of U.S. farmland, especially compared to suburban sprawl and recreational uses.
Across the country, many solar projects support dual-use agricultural practices such as grazing and pollinator habitats.
“America depends on our land to grow our food, build our communities, and power our lives,” said Tim Pawlenty, SEIA president and CEO. “Responsible land use means balancing all of those needs. This map helps provide important context by showing that solar and agriculture can thrive together. Solar development uses a very small amount of farmland compared to many other common land uses, while also delivering affordable energy, local tax revenue, and reliable income for farmers and landowners.”
Solar currently uses just 0.04% of total U.S. land area, and there are zero states where solar uses more than 0.5% of prime farmland. Nearly every state has more abandoned prime farmland than solar-developed prime farmland, according to SEIA’s findings. Nationally, there are 43 acres of abandoned prime farmland for every acre of solar on prime farmland.
Golf courses use 2.6 times as much prime farmland than solar. Suburban development just since 2014 uses roughly six-times more prime farmland than solar.
News item from SEIA
