What should landowners and farmers consider when reviewing a solar lease? Wisconsin has 33 large-scale solar developments (13 with battery storage) in place or under development in 21 of its 72 counties.
Developers are approaching farmers and rural landowners to secure land leases or options to purchase, yet many landowners are unsure what to ask or expect in the contracting process. In the virtual seminar recorded above, Sherrie Gruder, LEED AP, Distinguished Sustainable Design & Energy Specialist with Extension, highlights the current state of solar energy in Wisconsin.
Attorneys Bill Oemichen, Professor of Practice-Law with Extension’s Local Government Education Program, and Kelly T. Wilfert, Farm Law Outreach Specialist, follow with a discussion of the risks and opportunities in solar contracts, common terminology, and other considerations for those individuals contemplating a solar contract.
This seminar was part of a statewide Extension program to engage Wisconsin communities on large-scale renewable energy development and storage, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP) program.
Resources
Find more resources to help landowners explore solar leases on agricultural land from the UW-Extension Farm Management Program here.
Solar Leasing Your Farmland Webinar
Watch another presentation, "Solar Leasing Your Farmland", here.
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF) Executive Director Bradley Uken interviews U.W.-Madison Division of Extension’s Karl Green, Local Government Education Program Manager, and Bill Oemichen, Professor of Practice – Law, on the opportunities and risks from leasing farmland to solar developers. The wide-ranging interview focuses on why solar energy facility developers are rapidly increasing their demand for farmland; the significant economic gain for farmers and other rural landowners entering a long-term solar lease; why lease research should be done up front before entering negotiations; and the key considerations, including risks, for landowners when considering a solar lease.
