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2w ago

USDA Narrows Support for Farm Solar and Wind, Bars Panels From Foreign Adversaries

The department says the tighter rules safeguard prime farmland, strengthening U.S. 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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Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a news conference in the State Capitol on August 15, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
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Overview

  • A formal USDA update emphasizes heightened scrutiny and a move away from larger facilities, tempering a broader no-funding claim made by Secretary Brooke Rollins on X.
  • Wind and solar projects are now excluded from the USDA Rural Development Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program.
  • REAP eligibility is tightened to ground-mounted systems at 50 kW or less or those with documented historical energy use, leaving the status of already-approved awards unclear.
  • USDA-funded projects cannot use solar panels made by designated foreign adversaries, with officials explicitly citing China.
  • Contractors and some farmers report disrupted plans and potential cost impacts, while a 2024 USDA study found wind and solar occupy under 0.05% of U.S. farmland and often coexist with agriculture.