RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Agriculture and Solar Farms
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP le.102.4.011525-0001R1
DO 10.3368/le.102.4.011525-0001R1
A1 Chen, Jian
A1 Feng, Hongli
A1 Hoffman, Elizabeth
A1 Seaberg, Luke
YR 2026
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/early/2026/04/06/le.102.4.011525-0001R1.abstract
AB Utility-scale solar development has raised considerable local land use concerns. We investigate stakeholders’ valuations for solar project attributes, focusing on land use trade-offs with a choice experiment in U.S. state of Iowa that incorporates information treatments and choice uncertainty. Results indicate substantial heterogeneity, with public officials and landowners valuing high-quality farmland significantly more than the general population and non-landowners. However, information treatments do not significantly affect attribute tradeoffs, though they influence overall support for solar. Rankings of land use challenges vary with respondents’ farming backgrounds and solar experiences and interests. Findings highlight stakeholder-specific preferences shaping local acceptance of solar projects.