SOLAR Act
Key claim: The SOLAR Act would prohibit USDA from providing financial assistance for solar energy projects that convert prime, unique, or locally important farmland, with limited exceptions for small-scale or locally approved projects.
Abstract
(HR1592 · 119th Congress) Securing Our Lands and Resources Act or the SOLAR Act This bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture from providing financial assistance for certain projects that would result in the conversion of covered farmland for solar energy production. Under the bill, covered farmland generally refers to prime farmland, unique farmland, and farmland that is of statewide or local importance. Conversion means any activity that results in the covered farmland no longer meeting certain requirements for agricultural production, activity, or use. The bill includes an exception for certain smaller projects that result in the conversion of (1) less than 5 acres of covered farmland, or (2) less than 50 acres of covered farmland if the majority of the energy produced by the project is for on-farm use. The bill also includes an exception for projects that have the approval or support from the local county and municipality. For these projects, the applicant must (1) develop a farmland conservation plan for the project (e.g., implementing best practices to protect future soil health and productivity), and (2) ensure that sufficient funds are provided for the decommissioning of the solar energy production system and the remediation and restoration of the farmland. Latest action (2025-03-28): Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
Why this matters
The SOLAR Act would use USDA’s spending power to steer utility-scale solar development away from the nation’s most productive farmland, reflecting a growing tension between rural clean-energy build-out and long-term food production capacity. For farmers it narrows a lucrative land-lease option on prime acreage while preserving flexibility for small or locally sanctioned projects; for consumers and food prices, the long-run effect hinges on whether preserving productive acreage offsets any slowdown in rural solar deployment.