So here’s where this is not exactly always true. My parents own a good chunk of land, more than 100 acres. Around the same time we were approached by an oil company wanting to put a well on their land, and a solar company wanting to put solar panels on the land. The oil company wanted 5 acres for a 100 year lease. The solar company wanted 70 acres on a 100 year lease. During these leases the land effectively belongs to the company who signs the lease. So for solar, for 100 years we wouldn’t be able to plant or grow or run livestock on the land. So the scenario pictured is not always the way that it works.
And for the record, we told both of the companies no.
Thanks for posting about your experience with the leases, I had not considered the implication of the land use for solar on the landowner. I assumed you could still do whatever you wanted (within reason) under the panels with the understanding that anything in the way when it came time to service them would be moved or destroyed. Preventing grazing or planting would be a problem. I assume that is not necessarily how every lease is setup but its good info.
Having been to a couple of drill/frac sites on ag land, I’d say y’all made the right call by saying no to that.
I’ve also heard anecdotes about companies leasing land for energy production. Windmills have similar restrictions on the landowner. Like no permanent structures within 100m. So, no barns, stables, corrals, etc. can be built for the 100 year term.
I don’t have an issue with green energy, but those agreements are not nearly fair enough to the landowners.
So here’s where this is not exactly always true. My parents own a good chunk of land, more than 100 acres. Around the same time we were approached by an oil company wanting to put a well on their land, and a solar company wanting to put solar panels on the land. The oil company wanted 5 acres for a 100 year lease. The solar company wanted 70 acres on a 100 year lease. During these leases the land effectively belongs to the company who signs the lease. So for solar, for 100 years we wouldn’t be able to plant or grow or run livestock on the land. So the scenario pictured is not always the way that it works.
And for the record, we told both of the companies no.
Thanks for posting about your experience with the leases, I had not considered the implication of the land use for solar on the landowner. I assumed you could still do whatever you wanted (within reason) under the panels with the understanding that anything in the way when it came time to service them would be moved or destroyed. Preventing grazing or planting would be a problem. I assume that is not necessarily how every lease is setup but its good info.
Having been to a couple of drill/frac sites on ag land, I’d say y’all made the right call by saying no to that.
I’ve also heard anecdotes about companies leasing land for energy production. Windmills have similar restrictions on the landowner. Like no permanent structures within 100m. So, no barns, stables, corrals, etc. can be built for the 100 year term.
I don’t have an issue with green energy, but those agreements are not nearly fair enough to the landowners.