USDA halts renewable energy projects on prime farmland, prioritizing food production over green subsidies
08/21/2025 / By Cassie B.
The Trump administration has halted USDA funding for solar and wind projects on productive farmland, reversing Biden-era policies that prioritized renewable energy over food security.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized that industrial-scale solar and wind installations have destroyed millions of acres of prime farmland, threatening the future of American agriculture and young farmers.
Between 2012 and 2020, over 424,000 acres of farmland were consumed by wind and solar projects, with projections of further losses, making land more expensive and less accessible for farmers.
The policy shift aligns with President Trump’s July executive order eliminating subsidies for unreliable, foreign-controlled energy sources, emphasizing nuclear power as a more efficient alternative.
Lawmakers and officials argue that preserving farmland is critical for national food security, rejecting the idea that America’s agricultural future should be sacrificed for green energy experiments tied to foreign interests.
For years, America’s farmers have watched their land disappear under solar panels and wind turbines, all while taxpayer dollars subsidized the destruction. Now, the Trump administration is putting a stop to it.
https://www.climate.news/2025-08-21-usda-halts-renewable-energy-projects-for-food-production.html
