America's rural communities keep the country running by producing the food and energy we need to power our nation. In places where agriculture is a way of life, harvesting the wind is just like any other kind of farming – and it offers a predictable, drought- and weather-resistant source of income that can help stabilize a farm’s finances, particularly in lean years.
Whether you raise crops or livestock, farming is about turning natural resources into products that are useful to humans. Harvesting the wind is no different – and with 30-40% of U.S. corn going to ethanol, many farmers are already in the energy business.
Modern wind farms are spread across large areas of land, but although the external boundary of a large wind farm might encompass thousands of acres, on average, each turbine and its access road will only take about 2 acres out of use. Farmers and ranchers typically appreciate the addition of these access roads, which make it easier to reach different areas of their land and check on crops and livestock!
Farmers and ranchers are keenly aware of how to earn the most income from their land, and most find that the income they can earn from a turbine is much greater than what they would have earned from other uses of that same land.
Many farmers and ranch owners say wind made it possible for them to keep their properties, particularly in years when their income from other sources took a hit.
Livestock aren’t bothered by wind turbines (and the same is true for wildlife). The internet is full of photos of dairy and beef cattle, horses, sheep, and goats grazing calmly around wind turbines. Livestock also appreciate the shade offered by the turbine towers and will often move with the shadows – a phenomena sometimes called a “bovine sundial.”
Wind energy is America’s lowest-cost and fastest-growing source of new power. The U.S. currently gets more than 10% of its electricity from wind power – and eight states get more than 25% of their electricity from wind. A single, average turbine installed in the U.S. today produces enough clean energy to power about 1,000 homes – put differently, the average turbine produces enough power in 45 minutes to supply one U.S. home for one month.
Hosting wind farms is about more than producing clean energy – it's about sustaining and enhancing agricultural communities for generations to come.
Across the country, wind energy is creating jobs and delivering revenue to rural economies – to the tune of $2 billion in state and local tax payments and land-lease payments in 2022. Communities are using these funds to support investments in roads, schools, and essential services like hospitals and fire departments.
Hosting wind turbines offers farmers and their families a stable, predictable source of income they can rely on. Many farmers and ranch owners say wind made it possible for them to keep their properties, particularly in years when their income from other sources took a hit. The extra income from lease payments gives landowners the breathing room they need to invest in equipment and property improvements, which makes their overall operation more sustainable. Even better, wind farms require minimal water during construction and none during operations, making them an ideal choice in regions with strained water resources.
Hosting wind farms is about more than producing clean energy – it's about sustaining and enhancing agricultural communities for generations to come. Wind energy is just one more way rural agricultural communities are contributing to the nation's energy independence while also conserving their land and preserving their way of life for future generations.
You may have heard that renewable energy sources like wind and solar are uneconomical and can’t compete without huge tax subsidies from the government. But is there any truth to these claims? Read on for answers.
Rural communities are the backbone of America, and agriculture is the backbone of many rural communities. For families that earn their living from the land, it’s natural to have concerns about anything that could affect the quality of their most valuable investment. For this reason, some landowners have questions about whether solar projects can affect soil quality.
Every year, as more wind and solar farms are built, America’s power supply gets cleaner. Producing electricity from renewable resources like solar means more energy independence and less air and water pollution, which is good for families and communities everywhere.
