This bill addresses the growing tension between the need for renewable energy and the need to protect the nation's food supply. As the U.S. shifts toward green energy, solar farms often require vast amounts of land. Because farmland is often flat and cleared, it is the cheapest place for companies to build, but once solar panels are installed, the land usually cannot be used for crops for decades.

If this becomes law, it could protect the agricultural economy of rural areas but may also slow down the transition to clean energy or lead to higher electricity prices. If it does not pass, the trend of converting productive food-growing land into energy-producing land will likely continue, driven by existing federal incentives.