Midwest Farmers Fight Local Solar Bans and Federal Policy Shifts

Farmers across the Midwest are facing a surge of restrictive zoning laws and local opposition preventing the development of utility-scale solar projects. In Mahoning County, Ohio, officials used state law to block a 675-acre, 150-megawatt project for Wayne Greier, a sixth-generation farmer who intended to use the lease payments to manage $1 million in medical debt. Similarly, a 2023 ordinance in Garrard County, Kentucky, led an energy company to abandon a project on Lita Leavell's cattle farm, prompting a lawsuit from Leavell and six other landowners.

In February 2026, officials in Dearborn County, Indiana, paused all solar development for one year to evaluate environmental impacts and resident concerns regarding proximity to homes. These local restrictions mirror a broader trend across 44 states and align with federal policies under the Donald Trump administration, which removed green energy subsidies and loans while accelerating tax incentive deadlines to late 2027.

To combat these bans, the Renewable Energy Farmers of America and residents in Richland County, Ohio, are framing the issue as a matter of property rights. In Richland County, supporters have organized a May referendum to reverse a county-wide ban on wind and solar projects.