Ethanol corn uses farmland area the size of New York — could solar do it better?
Rethink Ethanol: A Land-Use Comparison
A recent study from Cornell University reveals that U.S. corn grown for ethanol occupies nearly 30 million acres—an area roughly the size of New York State. This vast amount of farmland is dedicated primarily to fuel production rather than feeding people. The implications are significant: not only does this land use impact food availability and pricing, but it also comes with environmental trade-offs tied to industrial agriculture, water consumption, and soil health.
Remarkably, the study found that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems could generate the same amount of energy using just 3.2% of the land currently devoted to ethanol corn. This dramatic difference raises an important question—why are we devoting so much fertile farmland to a less efficient fuel source when cleaner, more space-efficient options exist? Solar offers a path toward a more sustainable energy future, freeing up millions of acres for food production, habitat restoration, or other vital uses.