On a nippy fall evening, a golden sun cast a cinematic glow over Renée Wilson’s small northern Maryland farm. Horses whinnied and cows snorted against the backdrop of cascading red and yellow hills.
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In a small office near the stables and pigeon cage, Wilson pulled a large white file holder off a shelf and rifled through a wad of pamphlets. Each one offered her more money than the last to lease her land for energy projects, such as community solar and battery storage, for as long as 40 years.
Maryland’s Clean Energy Goals Drive a Land Rush
Maryland has committed to achieving 100% clean electricity by 2035, fueling a surge in solar energy development across the state. Incentives, tax breaks, and climate mandates have made large-scale solar farms attractive to investors — but the rapid expansion is reshaping the state’s rural landscape.
Flat, sunny farmland is often the easiest and cheapest land to develop. As a result, thousands of acres once used for crops and livestock are now covered with solar panels.
Farmers Fear the Loss of Productive Land
For many Maryland farmers, this clean-energy boom feels like a quiet takeover.
“Every acre we lose to solar panels is an acre that can’t feed people,” said Tom Redding, a third-generation farmer in Frederick County. “We support renewable energy, but not at the expense of farming.”
Leasing land to solar companies can bring in two to three times the income of traditional agriculture, but the shift often means farmland is taken out of production for decades. Once converted, restoring it for crops is costly and time-consuming.
Local Governments Struggle to Balance Progress and Preservation
County leaders are wrestling with how to balance climate commitments and agricultural preservation. Some Maryland counties have moved to restrict solar farms on prime farmland, pushing developers toward brownfields, rooftops, and industrial zones instead.
“The challenge is ensuring we don’t trade one sustainability goal for another,” said Secretary of Energy Maria Lopez. “We need clean power, but we also need local food and open space.”
Agrivoltaics: A Possible Middle Ground
A potential solution lies in agrivoltaics, where solar panels and farming coexist on the same land. Early trials in Maryland show promise, allowing livestock grazing and shade-tolerant crops beneath elevated panels. However, the technology remains expensive and complex to scale statewide.
Environmental advocates say it’s time for smarter land-use planning.
“We can’t treat clean energy and farming as competing forces,” said Lisa Han, director of the Maryland Renewable Coalition. “Climate change already threatens agriculture — solar can be part of the solution if we do it right.”
The Future of Maryland’s Farmland
As Maryland pursues a greener grid, the tension between renewable energy and agriculture continues to grow. For farmers, the question is not whether the state should go green — but how it does so without stripping away the land that sustains them.
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