Farmers Told To Do Their Homework On Solar Farms

More and more farmers are being approached about leasing their land for solar or other alternative wind farms, and the rate at which these requests are coming have some in the ag community concerned.  Melissa Halpin, accredited rural appraiser, said since the Inflation Reduction Act was put into place in 2022, climate issues have become a top priority for the Administration.  And to address these concerns, a lot of funding has been set aside to subsidize several of these solar farms, to make them a reality in less time.

“And the ultimate goal is to have renewable energy be 90% of our energy production by the year 2050. So, landowners are just becoming inundated with these mailings and callings from these solar companies, and wind companies, to try and sign up more and more land to build these projects on."

Halpin added landowners across the county have seen a huge influx of interest in their land, which can become overwhelming.  She added these projects can take up a large amount of farmland in a short amount of time, adding that wind farms start at an acre, while most solar farms start at 30 acres, and move up from there.  In addition, when the lease is up, there is no guarantee that the land can return to production.  Halpin said she’s not discouraging farmers from leasing their property for alternative energy projects.  She said it’s important that farmers read the contract thoroughly and hire an attorney who is knowledgeable with these types of solar and wind contracts.

“And make sure that this contract is in the best interest of the landowner for all the different topics across the board that you would need to make sure that you have in that contract.  And just to remember that as the landowner you have the trump card, you own the land.  Don't be afraid to ask for things that you want in that contract with the solar company. And don't be afraid to negotiate for a higher rate or whatever can be more favorable to you.”

Halpin added it’s important to remember these leases can stretch up to 50 years, so the decision to lease land is truly a multi-generational one.

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