What happens when someone else decides what you can do with your land? For farmers and ranchers across America, that question is becoming more urgent as local governments debate renewable energy regulations. This month, REFA’s Board of Directors approved four policy positions that address this challenge directly—establishing clear principles that protect landowner autonomy while supporting responsible development.
Why These Positions Matter Now
Farming in America is under real pressure. Input costs continue to climb, markets are volatile, and many families are navigating financial stresses that threaten the viability of their operations. Renewable energy has emerged as one tool that can help stabilize income and keep land in agricultural production—but only if farmers retain the right to evaluate these opportunities on their own terms.
At the same time, local debates over renewable energy siting have intensified. Some communities are considering blanket bans or extended moratoria. Others are crafting regulations based on subjective criteria rather than measurable standards. These approaches, however well-intentioned, can remove options from the landowners who need them most.
REFA’s new policy positions provide a framework for navigating these conversations—grounded in property rights, supported by facts, and focused on what works for farmers and ranchers.
1. Farmer & Rancher Autonomy and Property Rights
The foundation: Farmers and ranchers deserve the freedom to decide how their land is used, including whether to host renewable energy projects.
For generations, farmers have been trusted stewards of their land. Renewable energy is simply another option they may choose to support their operation, strengthen financial resilience, and preserve the land for the next generation. These property rights are foundational to American law and economic life.
REFA’s position recognizes that local concerns about renewable energy development are real and deserve respect. But research and case law show that subjective aesthetic preferences are not a reliable basis for regulating another person’s land use. When communities rely on objective, measurable criteria—such as setbacks, noise limits, and safety standards—they protect community interests while also respecting landowner autonomy.
2. Renewable Energy Bans and Long-Term Moratoria
The concern: Blanket bans and open-ended moratoria remove a voluntary tool that helps farmers stabilize income, reduce debt, and preserve farmland for future generations.
Nationally, landowners receive approximately $1.8 billion per year in lease payments from wind and solar projects. When governments adopt bans or prolonged moratoria, they cut off access to this revenue stream—often for limited public benefit. Research shows renewable projects typically use less than 0.1% of all U.S. agricultural land.
REFA supports narrowly tailored, time-limited pauses only when jurisdictions need to update local rules—and only when those pauses have defined timelines and clear objectives. Short-term pauses can be reasonable; open-ended moratoria that become long-term barriers are not.
3. Renewable Energy and Rural America
The opportunity: Renewable energy, when developed responsibly, offers meaningful economic and community benefits to rural America.
Under current economic pressures, it would be shortsighted to remove one of the tools that can help stabilize income and keep land in agricultural production. Renewable energy is not a replacement for farming, but it can be one of the options that helps a farm stay resilient through difficult cycles.
REFA supports development models that respect agriculture and enhance local outcomes. Projects should be designed to fit the agricultural landscape—protect soil, maintain working lands if desired, and support local economies. Well-planned development ensures renewable energy complements, rather than displaces, rural life.
4. Solar and Farmland
The reality: Solar energy can be compatible with agriculture when thoughtfully designed, responsibly sited, and implemented in ways that preserve the long-term productivity of working lands.
Even in the most aggressive projections, less than 1% of the total 897 million acres of farm and ranchland in the U.S. hosts solar panels. Solar farming is productive farming—landowners use their ground to create value, just as they choose the most productive mix of crops, grazing, or conservation practices.
REFA supports dual-use practices—often called agrivoltaics—wherever feasible. Many farms can integrate grazing livestock under panels, cultivate perennial crops, or implement pollinator-friendly groundcovers. These practices improve soil conditions, reduce maintenance costs, and reinforce the agricultural character of rural land.
Key Takeaways
- Property rights are foundational: Farmers and ranchers should be the primary decision-makers over their land, with regulations based on objective, measurable standards.
- Bans hurt farm families: Long-term moratoria remove economic options that help small and medium-sized farms stay in family ownership.
- Responsible development benefits everyone: When projects are designed to fit the agricultural landscape, renewable energy strengthens both individual operations and rural communities.
Read the Full Policy Positions
These summaries capture the core principles, but each position includes additional detail on what REFA supports and why it matters. To read the complete policy positions, visit: REFA Policy Positions
Standing Up for Landowner Rights
These policy positions reflect REFA’s core mission: empowering farmers and ranchers to make informed decisions about renewable energy while protecting property rights. Whether you’re evaluating a project proposal, following local policy debates, or simply want to stay informed, these positions provide a framework grounded in facts and focused on what works for agricultural communities.
REFA members have access to expert guidance, educational resources, and a community of peers navigating similar decisions. If you’re a farmer or rancher making decisions about renewable energy, consider joining the organization that puts landowners first.
