Tracking the Growth of Wind and Solar in Rural America

This briefing by RMI analyzes the economic impact of utility-scale wind and solar energy on rural American agricultural lands, noting that revenues from these sources are becoming comparable to major agricultural commodities in several states.

• Revenue from rural wind and solar energy has reached a scale comparable to major agricultural commodities at the national level. In 2024, nine states generated over $1 billion each in wind and solar revenue, totaling $23 billion, which represents 63% of the national total. There is significant overlap with agricultural leaders; seven states that lead in wind and solar revenue also have cash receipts exceeding $5 billion from cattle and calves, corn, and soybeans.
• Wind and solar infrastructure are primarily located on rural lands, with 90% of projected solar infrastructure through 2050 estimated to be on such lands. Between 2012 and 2020, more than 90% of wind projects and 70% of solar projects were sited on pasture or cropland. Wind projects have a minimal impact on land use, with less than 1% of sites on cropland or pasture shifting out of agriculture between 2012 and 2017, whereas 15% of solar sites shifted away from agricultural use during the same period.
• Energy projects provide financial stability to farmers through predictable annual land lease or royalty payments, which help offset the volatility of commodity prices and production costs. Beyond individual landowners, these projects benefit rural communities via construction jobs, long-term operations and maintenance employment, and tax payments for public infrastructure. For example, in 2024, three wind projects totaling 244 MW in Howard County, Iowa, contributed $2.7 million in taxes, representing 14.5% of the county's total tax revenue.

APA

RMI (2026). Tracking the Growth of Wind and Solar in Rural America. https://rmi.org/resources/tracking-the-growth-of-wind-and-solar-in-rural-america/

Chicago

RMI. Tracking the Growth of Wind and Solar in Rural America. 2026. https://rmi.org/resources/tracking-the-growth-of-wind-and-solar-in-rural-america/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Tracking the Growth of Wind and Solar in Rural America |date=30 April 2026 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/tracking-the-growth-of-wind-and-solar-in-rural-america/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2026tracking, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Tracking the Growth of Wind and Solar in Rural America}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/tracking-the-growth-of-wind-and-solar-in-rural-america/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }