Policy Landscape For Rural Utility-Scale Solar Deployment: A Comparative Policy Analysis of Four US states

Abstract

As utility-scale solar systems continue to expand across the United States, rural agricultural communities are increasingly at the forefront of land use decisions that will shape the renewable energy transition. While these large infrastructure projects offer significant climate and economic benefits, their sizable footprint and perceived impacts on farmland, rural character, and local autonomy can create significant resistance. This capstone report provides a comparative policy analysis of four states, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and New York, to examine how both local and state policies affect the deployment of utility-scale solar and align with community values, environmental protection, and agricultural preservation. The report identifies policies and practices that balance the needs of solar developers with the priorities of communities in which that are sited. Key areas of focus include zoning and local regulatory processes, community benefits and participation, and strategies for minimizing land use impacts through dual-use approaches such as agrivoltaics or ecovoltaics. The analysis is based on review of state regulatory frameworks, ordinance reviews, and specific case studies that illustrate how policy tools have been implemented in both supportive and restrictive ways. Findings emphasize that well-crafted policy instruments, such as specialized zoning districts, vegetation and agricultural mitigation plans, solar scorecards, and community benefit mechanisms, can be designed to align with community values and foster more mutually beneficial and environmentally integrated approaches to utility-scale solar development. This report aims to support the ongoing efforts of the Great Plains Institute and the PV-SuCCESS project to develop a comprehensive decision-making framework for solar development that integrates science-based environmental factors with the sociocultural priorities of Midwest communities.