The Rural Revolution: How Utility Solar Is Powering the Heartland
Across the American heartland, farmers and rural landowners are navigating a landscape riddled with economic and environmental uncertainties. With trade wars disrupting commodity markets, climate change intensifying droughts and floods, and generational farms buckling under debt, the traditional rural economy is in a frustrating state of flux.
But amid these challenges, a new opportunity is rising. And rather than displace the heartland’s agricultural roots, it reinforces them. That solution is utility-scale solar. When implemented with foresight and the right amount of community engagement, utility-scale solar is more than a source of clean energy. It's a long-term stabilizer.
Among other things, it offers landowners new, diversified income streams, supports local employment, and enables dual-use land practices that enhance rather than erase the land’s agricultural value.
In this article, the experts at Doman Energy will analyze how rural solar projects are rewriting the story of economic survival in rural America.
The Farm Economy Under Pressure
Farmers are no strangers to volatility. If anything, being able to adapt in the face of constant, unexpected changes is something of a badge of honor for generational growers. However, recent years have tested even the most resilient farm owners. However, understanding why means recognizing that modern farming is not just “growing and selling food.”
More than 50% of specific crops, notably soybeans and wheat, grown in the United States are exported. Rather than relying on roadside stands or markets, many modern farmers operate global enterprises that require partnerships with logistics companies, processors, rail systems, and port operators. This brings in additional revenue, but it also increases risk.
Most recently, trade conflicts, particularly with China, have slashed demand for staple exports like soybeans. This, in turn, has hammered rural incomes already struggling with inflation and supply chain problems. Simultaneously, swings in feed, fertilizer, and fuel costs have left producers navigating an unpredictable financial terrain.
Climate pressures have only amplified the struggle. Increasingly frequent droughts, heatwaves, and flooding are forcing farmers to reassess their crop calendars and livestock routines. Even for a group of Americans known to thrive in the face of unexpected change, these challenges are fast becoming intolerable.
In response, the U.S. government has extended supplemental payments and disaster relief to the tune of dozens of billions of dollars. The only problem is that these farmers aren’t just looking for revenue. They’re looking for resilience.
Solar as a Lifeline for Rural Landowners
For farmers, solar offers something quite rare: predictable income. By leasing land to solar developers, farmers can generate stable revenue from parcels that might otherwise lie fallow or produce low-yield crops. Of course, it’s important to note that these leases don’t require farmers to surrender control of their lots. The land remains theirs, and lease agreements are often structured to allow for future restoration or continued agricultural use alongside solar infrastructure.
Far from the “ugly technological invasion” that some in the media portray it as, solar farms can easily accommodate grazing, pollinator habitats, or crop co-location under or around the panels. When the lease is over, the solar infrastructure can be recycled, allowing for farming to continue. This type of approach lends itself quite well to crops that need a certain rest period, such as tobacco.
Beyond the leases themselves, utility-scale solar farms also create jobs. From construction crews and electricians to long-term operations staff and maintenance technicians, rural solar projects inject valuable employment opportunities into communities often left behind by urban-centric growth. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar energy already supports hundreds of thousands of American jobs, many of which are located in counties that previously relied on coal or commodity crops.
And don’t forget the power. Utility-scale solar Farms feed electricity directly into nearby transmission or distribution lines, turning the family farm into a critical part of the regional energy grid.
Dual-Use Agriculture
Given the benefits, it can be hard to imagine what might keep farmers from maximizing their income through solar leases. As is often the case, much of the hesitation stems from mis- or disinformation. “One of the most persistent myths about solar development on farmland is that it renders the land unusable for anything else,” says Doman Energy VP Aaron Burkhart. “In reality, the opposite is increasingly true.”
Not only does solar not harm the farmland, but utility solar developers like Doman have been fostering significant improvements in dual-use agriculture, also known as agrivoltaics. For instance, sheep are frequently introduced beneath solar panels to manage grass and weed growth. This “solar grazing” not only keeps maintenance costs down, but further preserves the land’s productivity and soil quality. With only modest design adjustments, other livestock, including chickens and goats, can also share the space.
Solar panels also provide a unique opportunity to foster biodiversity. Many developers now seed wildflowers and native grasses beneath and around panel arrays, creating sanctuaries for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. This supports local ecosystems and enables rural landowners to partner with beekeepers or harvest honey from on-site hives.
Even traditional crop production is getting a solar-powered boost. Elevated panel designs create shaded microclimates that reduce evapotranspiration and improve water use efficiency. Recent research from the University of Massachusetts and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows promising yields for tomatoes, leafy greens, and berries grown beneath solar canopies. In short, becoming a solar farm doesn’t mean that you need to stop being a regular farm.
Environmental and Soil Health Benefits
Even as some ill-informed people continue to argue that solar farms ruin the soil, research is proving the opposite. It’s now widely agreed that solar installations can actually function as a powerful tool for ecological restoration. For instance, when a plot of land enters a solar lease, it typically exits the cycle of tilling, compacting, and heavy irrigation. The result is a restorative pause that allows soil to recover organic matter, reduce erosion, and regain its water retention capacity, which is especially critical in drought-prone areas.
Even with these benefits clearly outlined, the most forward-thinking farmer might still be hesitant to lease out their farmland for development, regardless of its impact. The good news is that solar installations on farmlands are fully reversible. With proper decommissioning planning, the land can be quickly restored to its prior agricultural use after the project lifecycle ends.
Community Impact and Rural Revitalization
Lastly, it’s important to note that the benefits of installing solar panels on farmland extend far beyond the individual landowners. Solar developments also contribute to local economies through increased property taxes and Payment-in-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT) agreements. These funds support essential rural infrastructure like roads, fire departments, emergency services, and schools—assets that are often underfunded in low-population counties.
For family farms struggling with succession planning and generational transfers, a solar lease can be the difference between continuity and sale. By preserving the land and providing a reliable financial cushion, it becomes much easier for young farmers to step in without the burden of overwhelming debt.
Perhaps most importantly, solar is shifting rural identity from “passive observer” to “active participant” in America’s energy transition. Where farm-based solar projects were once seen as “outsider” ventures, they are increasingly designed, built, and maintained by local workers and welcomed as a source of community pride.
Conclusion
For too long, rural communities have been asked to choose between tradition and transition. But solar technology has the power to upend that false choice completely. Rather than degrading agricultural land, solar development can serve as a regenerative pause, a stabilizing income stream, and a springboard for diversified land use.
Across the country, the evidence is mounting: land used for solar is not lost, but leveraged. Not only does the presence of panels not damage the farmland, but it actively improves it. More importantly, thanks to evidence regarding the health of pollinators, grazing animals, and certain crops, farmers can avoid having to completely halt the land’s use.
Far from threatening the rural way of life, utility-scale solar offers the American heartland something incredibly valuable: power (both figuratively and literally). In the modern energy economy, farmland is not being sacrificed. Rather, it’s finally being valued for everything it can do.