New Study Finds Large-Scale Solar Not Threatening NY Farmland

Farmers with solar leases more likely to invest in farms than reduce operations

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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A new study from Cornell University researchers found that New York state farmers who signed large-scale solar leases were three times more likely to say they'll use the revenue to invest in their farms than to reduce operations. Nearly half of the farmers with leases said they did not plan to change their agricultural practices at all, dispelling the myth that solar development will lead to the death of farming in the state.

Why it matters

As New York state works to meet its decarbonization goals, large-scale solar development on private farmland will be crucial. This study provides important insights into how farmers are actually responding to solar lease opportunities, showing that it does not necessarily mean the end of farming in these communities.

The details

The study, published in the journal Rural Sociology, surveyed 584 landowners in three New York counties most likely to see large-scale solar development. It found that nearly half of respondents had been approached by solar developers, with farmers twice as likely as non-farmers to be solicited but less likely to actually sign leases. Of the over 70 farmers who had signed leases, most planned to continue farming, using solar revenue to invest in their operations.

  • The study was published on February 21, 2026.
  • The survey responses were collected from landowners in New York state in 2025.

The players

Richard Stedman

Professor and interim director of the Cornell CALS Ashley School in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and principal investigator of the study.

Kathryn Walsh

Research associate and lab supervisor for the Center for Conservation Social Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and first author of the study.

David Kay

Emeritus senior extension associate in global development, and a member of the research team.

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What they’re saying

“People have been talking about this for a long time, but nobody had asked quantitatively: For farmers, if you sign a lease, what do you intend to do? It's a reasonable conclusion from this study: Large-scale solar does not appear to be the death of farming.”

— Richard Stedman, Professor and interim director (Mirage News)

“If we don't do the social science and take into account the social factors, estimates of where these facilities can be sited lack feasibility. It's individual landowners making decisions that collectively can scale up and have local and regional implications, and implications for the state meeting its climate targets.”

— Kathryn Walsh, Research associate and lab supervisor (Mirage News)

What’s next

As a direct follow-up to this study, Stedman's group is conducting research about landowner attitudes around agrivoltaics, the practice of combining solar and agricultural practices.

The takeaway

This study provides important evidence that large-scale solar development on farmland in New York does not have to mean the end of farming in these communities. Policymakers and developers can use these insights to find ways for solar and agriculture to coexist and support each other.