The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will no longer support solar and wind projects on productive farmland, according to an announcement made by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Monday. The decision, posted on X, reflects a broader strategy by the Trump administration to restrict renewable energy development on U.S. soil.

The move halts federal support for clean energy expansion in rural America, despite the USDA having invested over $2 billion in renewable projects through its Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). These funds have historically helped finance solar panels, wind turbines, and rural electric cooperative initiatives aimed at lowering input costs and supporting sustainable agriculture.

Rollins defended the decision, arguing that renewable energy projects threaten the future of farming. "Millions of acres of prime farmland is left unusable so Green New Deal subsidized solar panels can be built. This destruction of our farms and prime soil is taking away the futures of the next generation of farmers and the future of our country," she wrote.

Critics point to USDA's own research, which contradicts Rollins' claims. A 2024 USDA study found that only 424,000 acres of rural land-less than 0.05% of the nearly 900 million acres of farmland nationwide-were affected by solar and wind projects as of 2020. Moreover, the study concluded that most land hosting renewable projects remained in agricultural use.

The announcement aligns with the Trump administration's stance that wind and solar are unreliable, costly, and overly dependent on Chinese supply chains. Industry analysts warn that the policy shift could stall investment in rural clean energy, potentially increasing costs for co-ops and slowing U.S. progress toward sustainable agriculture goals.

The USDA has not yet provided details on how the rollback will affect pending or existing contracts. Renewable energy developers and farm co-ops are awaiting clarification, while farm organizations weigh the policy's potential impact on profitability, land use, and loterm energy security.

As the debate intensifies, the decision highlights the tension between farmland preservation and renewable energy expansion, a critical issue for U.S. agricultural and energy policy in the years ahead.