05/21/2026
A new study from Cornell University is revealing more about how solar development is affecting agricultural communities in New York.
The study surveyed landowners in Genesee, St. Lawrence, and Washington Counties, and found that about 75% of landowners who had been approached by a solar developer have not signed a lease and do not intend to in the future.
Richard Stedman, principal organizer on the project, said they found farmers were more likely to be approached by a solar developer compared to non-farmland owners, and they were also more likely to turn down an offer.
Stedman said they asked farmers who had agreed to a solar lease on their land about what they were going to do next. About half of them said it wasn’t going to affect their farm operations.
“Of those who said it was going to affect their farming, they were three times more likely to say, ‘The revenues that I get from leasing some of my land for solar, I plan to reinvest into farming. So, it's going to keep me in farming.’” Stedman said.
Stedman said the results are a good signal for ag communities because it's showing that solar development isn’t likely as detrimental as previously speculated. But there are still plenty of concerns for communities to contend with.
Listen to the full story at ncpr.org/climate.
Reporting and photo by Catherine Wheeler
