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2h ago

USDA Halts Wind and Solar Funding on Productive Farmland Effective Immediately

The move extends a broader federal pullback on renewable incentives that targets Chinese supply chains.

An aerial view shows rows of solar panels at a solar farm in Anson, Texas, U.S., April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
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Overview

  • Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on X that the department will stop deploying programs that fund wind and solar projects on productive farmland, effective immediately.
  • USDA said wind and solar developments will no longer be eligible for its business and industry loan guarantees.
  • The Rural Energy for America Program will be restricted by barring solar projects larger than 50 kilowatts from eligibility.
  • The announcement included a stated intent to end the use of solar panels sourced from foreign adversaries, specifically citing China.
  • The action arrives alongside other administration steps constraining renewables—such as curbed tax credits and elevated Interior Department reviews—even as REAP has historically delivered over $4 billion and a 2024 USDA study found wind and solar occupied less than 0.05% of U.S. farmland in 2020.