Impact of Solar Farms on Arizona Ranchers

In Arizona, local ranchers are experiencing significant challenges as solar companies clear out traditional farmland. This has left the land barren while these companies push for what they call green solutions to the US energy crisis, according to several ranchers.

Close to Joseph City, ranchers have found themselves losing land to solar operations, with companies often securing leases that are financially out of reach for local cattle ranchers. Many of them pointed to the effects of the Green Energy Initiative during both the Obama and Biden administrations, which, they argue, have contributed to the destruction of farmland. These solar companies have been acquiring land that, through generous tax incentives, allows them to profit while local ranchers lose their heritage.

Kylie Reedhead, a rancher with deep family ties to his land, expresses helplessness. “I don’t know how to stop it,” he says. He inherited his ranch and now finds it under threat. Reedhead mentioned that several of his neighboring lands have been taken over by wind turbines, which he describes as an eyesore.

Another rancher, Rusty Despain, shares his worries as he watches his land being transformed. He recalls how his family has been good stewards of the land since 1972, but the arrival of new solar projects is changing everything. Despain points out the environmental degradation caused by these developments, highlighting how companies are leaving the ground barren and creating dust bowls.

Many ranchers in the area communicate the prevailing concern that most of the land in Joseph City—and much of Arizona overall—is federally or state owned, which leaves them dependent on government allocations. Despain notes that ranchers are falling short of quotas, which further complicates their situation with the solar companies.

Casey Murph, another long-standing rancher, mentions that he’s never seen such rapid solar development until the current administration. The existing infrastructure from the now-closed Cholla Coal Plant seems to offer solar companies a clear path forward. According to him, these companies are outbidding ranchers, who cannot compete with their offers.

These companies like Invenergy and Ørsted are taking over nearby lands, often funded by governmental tax credits, which makes it even harder for ranchers to maintain their holdings. Murph candidly admits that this puts their livelihoods at risk, as the lands that have belonged to his family for generations are under threat.

Despain also reflects on the dire implications of these developments. “At the end of the day, one of these facilities will turn into a wasteland,” he says, highlighting the impact of solar farms on local wildlife and habitats, knowing full well that years of sustainable farming might soon vanish.

“It’s devastating,” Despain continues, spilling out his feelings of loss over the land he once took pride in. His family has long hosted not just livestock but also local wildlife, which he claims is becoming increasingly rare in the region due to solar installations.

While Murph’s ranch hasn’t yet faced solar encroachment, he acknowledges that proposals for solar utilities have been directed at him since about 2021. Without his ranch, he admits he’s uncertain about his future. He feels extremely connected to the land his family has tended for generations, underscoring a spiritual bond that many ranchers share with their properties.

The Biden administration has been pushing for cleaner, renewable energy sources, often through substantial subsidies that ranchers feel are at their expense. On the other hand, the previous administration had sought to exit from this model, claiming it was problematic. Some ranchers believe that in the rush for “green” energy, long-term environmental impacts have been overlooked.

Despain illustrates the stark contrast between former energy production methods and the new solar systems. He argues that while large solar installations require massive plots of land, they simply can’t replicate the energy output of traditional coal-powered plants as efficiently. “What they did to this country is not clean,” he states emphatically.

The Secretary of Agriculture has moved to protect prime farmland from solar projects as part of a broader initiative to safeguard agricultural lands, but many ranchers feel that leasing arrangements complicate these protections. They argue that their rights are often overlooked in the face of corporate and governmental pressures.

Both Invenergy and Ørsted, along with the State Land Department, did not provide comments regarding these developments.