In a sweeping reversal of Green New Deal-era energy policies, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will immediately cease funding solar panel projects on productive farmland—a decision celebrated by farmers, rural lawmakers and fiscal conservatives as a long-overdue correction to years of misguided subsidies.

Speaking at an event in Lebanon, Tennessee, alongside Governor Bill Lee and a bipartisan delegation of congressional leaders, Rollins declared that taxpayer dollars will no longer bankroll solar or wind projects on agricultural land, nor will USDA programs permit the use of solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries like China. The policy shift comes as data reveals a staggering loss of farmland to renewable energy development: Tennessee has lost over 1.2 million acres in the past 30 years, with projections indicating another 800,000 acres could vanish by 2027 if trends continue.

"This destruction of our farms and prime soil is taking away the futures of the next generation of farmers and the future of our country," Rollins posted on X (formerly Twitter). "Starting today, USDA will no longer deploy programs to fund solar or wind projects on productive farmland, ending massive taxpayer handouts."

The decision extends beyond Tennessee. Nationwide, solar panels on farmland have surged by nearly 50% since 2012, according to USDA data, with 47% of utility-scale solar projects now sited on agricultural land—a direct consequence of federal and state subsidies incentivizing renewable energy over food production. Critics argue these policies, rooted in the Green New Deal's push for rapid decarbonization, have distorted land markets, making it harder and more expensive for young farmers to acquire arable land.

"One of the largest barriers of entry for new and young farmers is access to land," Rollins emphasized. "Subsidized solar farms have made it more difficult for farmers to access farmland by making it more expensive and less available."

Food security vs. green energy experiments

The USDA's announcement marks a fundamental shift in federal priorities, prioritizing domestic food production and energy independence over what criics call "unreliable green energy experiments" subsidized by taxpayers. The move aligns with the Trump administration's broader America First energy agenda, which has sought to roll back climate-related mandates that opponents argue threaten U.S. agricultural sovereignty.