Rural Indiana is undergoing a major shift as farmers discover that solar and wind projects can provide financial stability, especially at a time when times are tougher than ever.
In Howard County, landowners who once saw renewable energy proposals derailed by local opposition are embracing private projects by leasing their properties for renewable energy production, Union News reported.
It’s a win-win-win for farmers, energy companies and national energy reserves.
Farmers such as Anthony Downing and David Long are leasing some of their land to Engie’s 1,500-acre Emerald Green Solar farm, which helps pay for some of their operating costs, which have soared since the pandemic began. Engie not only pays landowners six times what they lease to farmers, but also adds 2 percent per year over the 25-year contract.
Considering it will diversify energy supplies in Indiana, a state that uses three times as much electricity as it produces, the project is expected to bring benefits across the board.
“I love electricity and I think everyone in Howard County does too,” Long told the Associated Press. “We need more energy.”
Renewable energy farms can help lower energy costs for everyone, while also reducing pollution and improving local air quality.
The biggest points of contention among critics are aesthetics and the loss of farmland.
“Everything else pales in comparison,” said Dan Brockett of Penn State Extension’s energy team. But land quality may even improve after such a long break. The project is designed to be reversible at the end of the contract. This means minimizing disturbance to the land and topsoil – Engie even planted native groundcover to make it more pollinator-friendly (an important component of our food security).
While Purdue University is studying whether the metal structures of solar panels could leach PFAS or other chemicals into the ground, experts say this is unlikely. Plus, when it’s used in solar farms, no chemical applications are required.
“Allowing the soil to rest for a long time will allow it to displace a lot of the nutrients,” Brockett said. “The ground will most likely be in better shape at the end of its life than when it began.”
It is also possible for livestock such as sheep to graze on the land, i.e. agrivoltaic, making it versatile and more profitable.
“I think this is going to be one of the best courses in Howard County,” Downing said.
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