UTIA Study Weighs Solar Panels on Tennessee Farmland — and What It Means for Rural Homeowners

On August 24, 2023, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) published findings from a study estimating how much land utility-scale solar energy could consume across Tennessee — and what that means for the state's farmland base. The analysis came from UT's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, led by Karen DeLong along with Olivia Murphy, David Hughes, and Chris Clark, with Harry Crissy of Pennsylvania State University. Funding came from the Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association, with support from GreenGo Energy U.S. and the national Solar Energy Industries Association.

The Numbers

UTIA researchers found that Tennessee's operational and contracted utility-scale solar facilities — capable of generating 1,474 megawatts — would require between 8,197 and 14,743 acres of land. That works out to no more than 0.056% of Tennessee's total land area, or up to 0.137% of the state's agricultural lands.

The bigger number sits on the horizon. The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced a goal of adding 10 gigawatts of solar by 2035. Meeting that target would require an additional 55,600 to 100,000 acres of land, potentially equal to up to 0.93% of the state's farmland.

Why the Farmland Framing Matters

Tennessee has been losing agricultural land for decades. Between 1997 and 2017, the state lost roughly 1.11 million farmland acres. Projections suggest another 420,000 farmland acres may convert to urban uses by 2040. Against that backdrop, utility-scale solar is one of several pressures on productive land — and the UTIA team wanted to size the footprint rather than speculate about it.

Agrivoltaics: Solar and Agriculture Together

A central finding of the study is that agrivoltaics — the practice of combining solar panels with ongoing agricultural production underneath or between them — may offer a middle path. By keeping pastureland, pollinator habitat, or certain crops in production alongside panels, farm families don't have to choose between leasing land to a solar developer and keeping it in agriculture.

What It Means for Rural Homeowners

The UTIA findings are aimed at policymakers and landowners considering utility-scale leases, but the rural solar context matters for homeowners too. If you own acreage in Tennessee, the same developers driving the TVA's 10 GW buildout may be the ones knocking on neighbors' doors with lease offers. Understanding how much land solar actually requires — and what agrivoltaics could preserve — informs conversations with developers, local planning boards, and neighbors. For homeowners weighing rooftop or small ground-mount systems on their own property, the study is a reminder that Tennessee's solar buildout is real and accelerating, and that state-level support is mobilizing around it.

Where to Read the Study

The full UTIA release is available through the UT Institute of Agriculture newsroom.