This report examines rural land ownership trends associated with large-scale solar development through a mixed-methods analysis of more than 223,000 rural parcels across eight counties in eight states, complemented by interviews with farmers and landowners.

The findings show that solar parcels are more likely than surrounding rural land to be owned by out-of-state entities and energy companies, although ownership patterns vary substantially by community. The report also highlights examples where local ownership has been retained, allowing lease payments and other economic benefits to remain within host communities. Together, the parcel analysis and interviews provide new insights into how land ownership influences the distribution of benefits from large-scale solar development while identifying opportunities for future research on farmland access, rural economies, and the clean energy transition.

This work was completed in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.