The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a significant policy shift, stating that it will no longer back solar and wind projects on productive farmland.
This decision aligns with President Donald Trump administration’s broader stance on renewable energy development, which has been characterised as unreliable and overly dependent on foreign supply chains.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the decision on X: “Millions of acres of prime farmland is left unusable so Green New Deal subsidised solar panels can be built. This destruction of our farms and prime soil is taking away the futures of the next generation of farmers and the future of our country.”
“Starting today, @USDA will no longer deploy programs to fund solar or wind projects on productive farmland, ending massive taxpayer handouts. Also ENDING the use of panels made by foreign adversaries like China.”
Reuters reports that the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program has historically provided more than $2bn in support for renewable energy initiatives, including those in rural electric cooperatives.
According to a USDA study from 2024, 424,000 acres (1,715 km²) of rural land were impacted by wind turbines and solar farms in 2020. This figure represents less than 0.05% of the nearly 900 million acres of farmland across the country. Most of this land remained in agricultural production after the introduction of renewable energy projects.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataUnder the previous administration led by President Joe Biden, there was a push to promote solar and wind projects in rural areas and on farms as part of a broader initiative to reduce climate-harming emissions and enhance the affordability of clean energy.
In July 2025, the US Department of the Interior announced the end of what it described as “preferential treatment” of subsidy-dependent wind and solar energy projects. The decision is in line with President Trump’s Energy Dominance agenda and follows the signing of Executive Order 14315 and the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
