Research from Indiana University suggests that concerns over the impact of solar development on US agricultural production are largely exaggerated, with prices for maize, soybeans and wheat expected to increase by less than 5.6% if the build out of utility-scale solar on cropland is consistent with historical patterns.
May 21, 2026
Expanding utility-scale solar in the United States is unlikely to compromise food security, according to new research.
Researchers Jerome Dumortier and Rafael M. Almeida, from Indiana University, used a county-level agricultural model to explore how replacing cropland with utility-scale solar farms could affect land allocation, crop prices, agricultural production and farm revenue for major crops across the United States.
A baseline solar expansion scenario found that if 40% of future solar development is placed on cropland, a rate the research paper says is consistent with historical patterns, prices for maize, soybeans and wheat would increase by less than 5.6%. This figure is around a third compared to long-term estimates associated with biofuel production.
