A Growing Concern Over Solar Expansion in Ag Zones
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is voicing strong opposition to the increasing use of prime agricultural land for solar panel installations. In a recent statement, Rollins highlighted her personal ties to farming and the emotional toll of watching solar projects replace fertile farmland.
“Watching the solar panels take over all of that farmland in that 72-mile drive is heartbreaking,” said Rollins, referencing her childhood summers on a row crop farm in Minnesota.
Rollins emphasized that preserving farmland is not just about food production, but also about national security, the sustainability of family farms, and protecting the American rural identity.
California Legislation Sparks Debate
Tensions are rising in California as Democrats in Sacramento advance Assembly Bill 1156. The bill aims to simplify the conversion of Central Valley farmland into solar production sites, particularly targeting lands deemed to have insufficient water access.
Critics argue that the proposed bill takes a three-pronged approach to undermine Central Valley agriculture:
- Limiting water supplies to some of the state’s most fertile lands.
- Financially pressuring farmers who still owe taxes and mortgages on unproductive land.
- Changing laws to make solar the most viable—if not the only—option for that land.
“An Easy Fix”: Water Over Solar
Advocates like Rollins and industry voices such as Nick Papagni, “The Ag Meter,” insist the solution is simple: restore water access. “We want California farmers doing their thing and they need water,” Papagni stressed. “Solar panels are fantastic and save money, but not on beautiful ag soil.”
The push to keep solar infrastructure off productive farmland continues to gain traction among agricultural leaders and rural communities, who see this not just as an economic issue—but a fight for the heart of California agriculture.