Some American farmers bet on solar. Then Trump changed the rules

NewsWorldAmericasSome American farmers bet on solar. Then Trump changed the rulesFarmers in the U.S. operate on the thinnest of margins, and some have looked to renewable energy as a way to cut costs on electricityMelina Walling, Joshua A. Bickel, Ayurella Horn-Muller & M.k. WildemanFriday 17 April 2026 14:03 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"585a1df02a748d689b3ee5136ce69313","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/joe-biden-solar-energy-trump-barack-obama-department-of-agriculture-b2959843.html","title":"Some American farmers bet on solar. Then Trump changed the rules"}}Some American farmers bet on solar. Then Trump changed the rulesShow all 9{"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","className":"","title":"Some American farmers bet on solar. Then Trump changed the rules","gallery":[{"data":{"title":"Climate Solar Energy Farmland","description":"A sheep stands in front of solar panels on a farm Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Lancaster, Ky. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)","caption":"Climate Solar Energy Farmland","copyright":"Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved","credit":"ASSOCIATED PRESS","alt":null,"url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/04/17/14/Climate_Solar_Energy_Farmland_27891.jpg","id":"163b7ba9c5c14a6788e1e23897c16759","mid":6630192,"uid":0,"smartframe":null,"extra":{"imageSize":{"width":6000,"height":4000}}},"type":"image"},{"data":{"title":"Climate Solar Energy Farmland","description":"Daniel Bell opens a bag of feed as he prepares to move sheep into a nearby field Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, at a farm in Lancaster, Ky. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)","caption":"Climate Solar Energy Farmland","copyright":"Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved","credit":"ASSOCIATED...