Released today, a fact sheet from the Center for Rural Affairs explores “Opportunities for Solar Energy on Marginal Agricultural Lands.”

LYONS, NEBRASKA — As the demand for solar energy continues, marginal agricultural land can host solar projects.

Released today, a fact sheet from the Center for Rural Affairs explores "Opportunities for Solar Energy on Marginal Agricultural Lands."

"Farmland is appealing to solar developers because it typically requires less alteration before construction," said Cora Hoffer, senior policy associate at the Center for Rural Affairs. "Prioritizing siting solar projects on less productive marginal land can lessen concerns about solar being sited on more productive agricultural land."

Based on estimates from the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Futures study released in 2021, solar will need to make up 40% to 45% of the energy mix of capacity to fully decarbonize the U.S. energy grid by 2050. Such expansion will require an estimated 10.3 million acres of land, 90% of which will be in rural areas. The USDA's 2022 Census of Agriculture reported more than 880 million acres of farmland in the U.S., with another study estimating a range of 25 to 144 million acres of marginal agricultural land.

Marginal agricultural land is defined as land that is not suitable for conventional crop production and has little to no agricultural value. Producing crops on marginal agricultural land can be high risk due to unfavorable climate conditions, poor soil, or other limitations that significantly restrict the amount of crops or livestock that can be produced.

"While there are crop insurance policies available to protect against low yield and low revenue, using the land to host a solar project could reduce the need to rely on crop insurance," said Hoffer. "Siting solar on marginal agricultural land provides the opportunity to supplement lost revenues, add financial stability to an operation through long-term land lease payments, and protects high quality agricultural land from being taken out of production."

The fact sheet described the conditions under which solar might be sited on marginal agricultural land and the potential benefits to landowners and the environment.

To read and download a copy of "Opportunities for Solar Energy on Marginal Agricultural Land," visit cfra.org/publications. The fact sheet is also available in Spanish.

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Established in 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs is a private, nonprofit organization working to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities through action oriented programs addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.