Solar Energy Saves New York's Farmland, Not Destroys It

New York's farmland is facing threats, but solar energy development is not one of them. A recent letter from USDA Secretary Rollins to Governor Hochul claimed that the state was allowing solar projects to destroy prime farmland, but a data-filled response from the state showed just how small the impact has been.

According to analysis from the Solar Energy Industries Association, only 0.13% of the state's USDA-certified prime farmland is used for solar development - about 17 out of 13,000 square miles statewide. In fact, solar energy is helping save farms by providing stable income and keeping land in production.

Many farmers rely on solar leases to resist pressure to sell their fields for subdivisions and warehouses. The state has already implemented strong farmland protections, including guidelines for constructing, managing, and decommissioning solar projects that safeguard soil and future agricultural productivity.

Solar energy can also help free up prime farmland for food production by replacing inefficient energy sources like corn for ethanol. An acre of solar produces 100 times more usable energy per acre than corn, meaning 1,440 acres of solar panels could replace all the state's ethanol energy and free up 142,560 acres for food.