A report from the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) released in September provided an update on how utility-scale solar (USS) interacts with North Carolina’s agricultural landscape.
North Carolina now hosts 773 USS installations with a combined capacity of 6,846 megawatts (MW). These projects occupy about 40,284 acres statewide, or 0.13 percent of the state’s 31.4 million total land acreage. About 34,012 acres of solar are sited are agricultural land—defined in the report as cultivated cropland, pasture, hayfields, or evergreen forests. That amounts to just 0.42 percent of North Carolina’s 8.1 million agricultural acres.
Other development classifications have a much higher impact. To put things in perspective, low-intensity development (i.e. single family housing) covers about 3.42 percent of agricultural land, while open-space development (i.e. large-lot single-family housing, golf courses, and parks) takes up 7.18 percent.
A Growing Partnership Between Solar and Farming
Agriculture continues to be one of North Carolina’s economic engines, employing roughly 16 percent of the state’s workforce across 42,000 farms. At the same time, North Carolina ranks fifth in the nation for installed solar capacity, reflecting the state’s growing clean energy leadership.
For many landowners, hosting solar panels has become an appealing way to stabilize income. NCSEA cites lease rates ranging from $750 to $1,400 per acre per year, often exceeding the returns from crops like barley, oats, or hay. With predictable, long-term lease payments, solar can help farmers diversify their revenue and buffer against volatile markets, extreme weather, and other challenges.
And solar and agriculture don’t have to compete, but instead can complement each other. Many projects across the state are now integrating agrivoltaics (combining solar panels with crops or livestock) and pollinator-friendly plantings to maintain agricultural productivity while generating clean energy.
NCSEA’s report also highlights that solar development is reversible. Utility-scale systems typically operate for about 25 years, after which land can be restored for other uses. New state rules enacted in April 2025 require every grid-connected project larger than 2 MW to have a decommissioning plan and financial assurances, further ensuring responsible land stewardship.
What Does This Mean for North Carolina?
The data tell a clear story: solar’s land use in North Carolina is minimal compared to other development, yet its economic and environmental benefits are significant. For farmers and rural landowners, solar projects present an increasingly viable opportunity—a way to keep land productive, support the state’s energy transition, and generate reliable income for decades to come.