Renewables vs. Farmland: How Solar Panels and Transmission Lines Are Displacing U.S. Farmers

BROOK DELORME

In “Transmission Lines and Solar Panels Breaking up Farmland,” Brook DeLorme explores how government regulations and the push for renewable energy, including solar panels and transmission lines, are reducing usable farmland in the U.S.

DeLorme details how large-scale solar and wind energy projects require vast tracts of land, displacing farmers, disrupting local ecosystems, and causing property value declines in rural areas. She also discusses how eminent domain laws are being used to seize farmland for these projects, while some states are now implementing “buy the farm” provisions that protect rural landowners. She highlights the importance of changing eminent domain policies and creating local ordinances to protect rural landscapes from industrial energy infrastructure.