Why Rural and Undeveloped Land Is in High Demand for Energy Projects
Rural land has lots of open space, and that space is perfect for energy. For example, solar panels need clear, flat fields with lots of sun and nearby electric lines. Across the U.S., many giant solar farms are built on farmland. Solar farms need room to catch sunlight – a typical utility solar farm might cover 30 or more acres of land. In short, sunny, flat fields make great solar farms, and farmers can earn money by leasing their fields for solar projects.
Solar farms need sunny, flat fields close to power lines.
Most new large solar farms are in rural areas.
Studies show solar farms do not hurt neighboring farmland prices. In fact, being near new power lines with solar can even raise land value slightly.
Farmers can earn a lot by leasing land to solar companies. In 2024, many farmers were offered over $1,000 per acre for multi-decade solar leases. For comparison, normal crop rent is only about $146 per acre.
Wind Energy
Wind energy projects also want rural land. Wind turbines (big windmills) are often placed on farms and ranches. They only need a small concrete pad and road, so farmers can still plant crops right up to the turbine. Over 90% of new large wind turbines in rural America are on farmland (cropland or pasture). By 2020 there were about 65,000 wind turbines in rural areas. Wind power provided about 8% of U.S. electricity by 2020. Even with so many turbines, they use very little land – solar and wind together cover less than 0.05% of U.S. farmland, and wind farms leave most of the land open.
Wind turbines are usually sited in fields or pastures.
Each turbine needs only a small footprint, so farmers can farm around them.
The number of wind turbines has grown a lot (from about 10,000 in 2006 to over 64,000 by 2020).
Wind farms spread turbines out; more than 95% of a wind farm’s land remains available for other uses.
AI Data Centers and Tech
New AI data centers and other tech facilities need rural land too. These are giant buildings filled with computer servers, and they use enormous amounts of electricity. Tech companies like Meta and Google are looking for flat rural land with good power lines (and even natural gas) nearby to build these centers. Thanks to AI, data center development is booming in rural America. Data centers pay very high prices for land — on average about $224,000 per acre in 2024 — and each site is often hundreds of acres. Building a data center can also bring high-paying jobs. For example, a new Meta data center is expected to create permanent jobs with average salaries around $82,000 per year.
AI centers are huge server farms that need lots of power and space.
Companies hunt for big, flat rural plots with power lines.
Data centers pay millions for land: the average price paid was about $224,000 per acre, with sites around 224 acres.
They also bring jobs and tax revenue to local areas.
Fuel Crops and Other Energy Uses
Rural land also produces fuel. Many farmers grow crops that are turned into energy. For example, a large share of U.S. corn and soy is used for biofuels. In 2024, U.S. farmers planted about 94.6 million acres of corn, and roughly 36% of that corn was made into ethanol fuel. About half of U.S. soybean oil goes into making renewable diesel or biodiesel. In other words, farmers can grow plants that become gasoline substitutes for cars and planes. These energy crops give landowners another way to earn from their land.
Farmers grow corn and soybeans that get turned into fuel like ethanol and biodiesel.
Last year over one-third of U.S. corn went to ethanol fuel.
Around half of U.S. soybean oil was used for renewable diesel fuel.
Growing fuel crops is another way rural land creates energy.
What This Means for Landowners
Rural land is in high demand, and that’s good news for you. Energy and tech projects need your big, open fields. You can earn substantial income by leasing or selling land for solar panels, wind turbines, data centers, or fuel crops. At the same time, these projects use surprisingly little of the land. Farmers can keep farming next to wind turbines, and studies show solar farms do not harm neighboring farm values.
Overall, the growing clean-energy and AI demand means landowners get more money and jobs in rural areas. Your undeveloped land is valuable big companies are paying for the chance to use it.
Keep In Mind!
I break down each phase of a project so you always know where you stand. Renewable projects often move through several stages an initial easement or survey period, a multi-year option phase for permitting and grid connections, and finally a long-term lease or purchase. I translate the technical and legal terms into plain language and explain critical timelines, so you know what to expect and when. If a developer offers to buy your land outright instead of leasing, I’ll help you weigh that option to understand the pros, cons, and long-term impact. My goal is to keep you informed and in control throughout the process from initial outreach to construction and operation. With the right guidance, you’ll have the confidence to ask the right questions, negotiate better terms, and secure the strongest outcome for your land.