Recent media coverage portraying solar energy development as a threat to agricultural land and food production has no basis in fact, according to a new report from The Western Way. . As shown in Map 1, roughly 18% of ground-mounted PV facilities in the U. were installed between 2021 and 2023, with a notable portion of these projects built on former cropland or pasture in rural areas. This trend has raised skepticism in rural communities, prompting questions about land value. . Driven by subsidies, mandates and federal and state policies compelling the use of more renewable energy, solar energy facilities are now displacing farmland at an increasing rate. Solar farms and traditional farming can coexist.
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While rooftops are often suggested as an alternative to converting farmland into solar fields, they are not a viable substitute for meeting large-scale energy needs. Rooftops have large surface areas with few obstructions, and the landowner typically has control over objects that might shade the solar modules over the life of the installation. Plus, we can build it more quickly than. . Imagine your barn's roof not just sheltering hay but generating enough electricity to power 10 neighboring homes. That's the untapped potential of building solar panels on rural roofs across America's heartland.
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