Preserving America’s Farmland Act

Agriculture and Food
house
senate
president

Introduced on May 7, 2024 by Mary E. Miller

Legislation Details

  • Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to conduct a study on the effects of solar panel installations on farmland.
  • The study will analyze:
    • Economic effects on converted and adjacent farmland, including impacts on crop yields, land values, and land access.
    • Effects on local economies and food security.
    • Impacts of solar panel installation, operation, and decommissioning on soil health, water resources, wildlife, water drainage, and vegetation.
    • Evaluates existing federal, state, or local tax incentives for solar installations on farmland.
    • Evaluates incentives for installing solar panels on non-agricultural lands, such as contaminated land or landfills.
    • Assesses the effectiveness of programs that incentivize solar energy use on non-agricultural lands and discourage solar installations that remove farmland from agricultural production.
    • Estimates the loss of agricultural production due to solar panel installations.
  • Requires consultation with farmers, ranchers, landowners, agricultural organizations, state departments of agriculture, conservation organizations, and land-grant colleges and universities.
  • Mandates a report to be submitted to relevant congressional committees and made publicly available within 2 years of the Act’s enactment.
  • Defines “covered farmland” as per the Farmland Protection Policy Act and “land grant colleges and universities” as per the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977.

Last updated 9/5/2024