Trump Rejects Solar, Wind Projects on Farmland, Citing High Electricity Prices.

US President Donald Trump announced that the country will not approve solar and wind projects that harm farmland, citing inflated electricity prices. The decision comes after the US Department of Agriculture ended programs that provided financial support to clean energy on productive farmland. Trump claimed that windmills and solar power are causing record-breaking increases in electricity costs, calling it the "scam of the century." The administration has leverage over projects built on public lands and has taken steps to single out wind and solar projects.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ended its financial support for solar and wind projects on productive farmland, effective immediately. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced this decision on August 18, stating that the move aims to prevent the destruction of farmland and protect the future of farming in the country [1].

The decision follows a July 7 executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which sought to end market-distorting subsidies for "unreliable, foreign-controlled energy sources." The administration has cited inflated electricity prices as a reason for halting these projects. According to the order, wind and solar power are displacing affordable, reliable, domestic energy sources and compromising the electric grid [2].

The USDA had previously provided over $2 billion for renewable energy projects through its Rural Energy for America Program. However, the agency has now stopped accepting grant applications for this program. The USDA's earlier reports indicated that more than 90 percent of large-scale wind turbines and 70 percent of solar farms in rural areas were installed on agricultural land. As of 2020, these projects had taken up 424,000 acres of farmland [1].

Secretary Rollins also emphasized that halting renewable projects on American farmland will end the use of panels made by foreign adversaries like China. China controls a significant portion of the supply chain for critical materials necessary for solar and wind power technologies, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements [1].

The administration's move has been met with mixed reactions. While some argue that the decision protects farmland and reduces dependence on foreign supply chains, others contend that it could hinder the transition to clean energy and limit farmers' income from renewable energy projects. The USDA's earlier reports noted that farmers who installed solar panels on their farmland made $50,000 per acre in profits annually, which is 25 times the amount they would have earned by planting crops [1].

The decision to halt solar and wind projects on farmland is part of a broader trend in the Trump administration to shift focus away from green energy projects. The administration has taken steps to single out wind and solar projects, including an August 1 order signed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to rein in these projects and ensure optimal use of federal lands for energy purposes [2].

References:
[1] https://www.ntd.com/usda-ends-funding-for-solar-wind-projects-on-farmland_1085781.html
[2] https://www.thepigsite.com/news/2025/08/usda-halts-support-for-solar-wind-on-farmland