U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins joined Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and several members of Congress to announce that USDA will stop funding solar projects on prime farmland. Rollins emphasized that subsidized solar farms make farmland scarcer and more expensive. This creates barriers for young farmers and undermines food security.

The USDA reported that Tennessee lost over 1.2 million acres of farmland in 30 years and could lose 2 million by 2027. The nationwide use of farmland for solar has risen nearly 50% since 2012.

Supporters included Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, as well as Representatives John Rose and Glenn Thompson. They said the decision was a step toward protecting U.S. agriculture, national security and taxpayer dollars.

Effective immediately, USDA programs such as the Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program will exclude solar and wind projects. Under the REAP Guaranteed Loan Program, only small, facility-sized renewable installations will qualify. Large ground-mount solar projects are no longer eligible.

Read more about the USDA’s decision to block solar panel funding on agricultural land here.