Clean Energy and Rural Prosperity
Solar & Wind Strengthen North Carolina’s Farms, Communities, and Economy Protecting Property Rights and Rural Investment Opportunities
North Carolina landowners deserve the freedom to choose how they use their land — including the ability to lease it for clean energy projects. Solar partnerships provide economic freedom, private-sector opportunity, and a new path to rural prosperity.
This is about:
• Property rights
• Economic freedom
• Rural investment and energy security
A Stable, Voluntary Income Stream for Farmers and Landowners
Clean energy partnerships allow farmers to diversify their income without giving up farming altogether.
• Solar leases average $500–$800 per acre annually
• Wind project leases can generate $6,000 or more per turbine per year, while maintaining full farming access beneath
• These are long-term, voluntary, and dependable revenues — no subsidies required for landowners leasing to developers
Strong Benefits for Local Communities
• On average, there is a 793% increase in the property taxes a county collects in the year after solar is built on the land than the year before it was built. • When solar is built on land, no new infrastructure is needed from the county. No new schools, fire stations roads, or sewer upgrades.
• The wind farms in northeastern NC are the largest taxpayers in those counties by far.
Local Oversight Ensures Smart Development
Clean energy projects are already subject to strict local and state review, including:
• Zoning approvals, decommissioning plans, and visual buffers.
• Compatibility with agriculture and nearby land uses.
• Additional review for military and community impacts on wind projects.
North Carolina has over 700 operating solar farms — all developed with local input and minimal impact on neighbors or farmland values.
Clean Energy = National and Economic Security
• Clean energy reduces dependence on foreign energy sources.
• Diversifying our energy mix strengthens the grid, especially in rural counties.
• Every new project brings private capital, jobs, and tax revenue — all without government mandates.
North Carolina Leads In Clean Energy — Let’s Keep it That Way
Our state is a national leader in clean energy deployment, thanks to smart landowners and market driven growth.
• NC ranks 4th in the U.S. for solar capacity, and 5th for solar generation.
Let’s keep North Carolina open for business, strong on property rights, and committed to rural prosperity.
Questions or want more information? Contact: Thomas Shumaker, State Director Conservatives for Clean Energy North Carolina
[email protected]