Are rural communities really losing out to solar farms? The data tells a completely different story.
Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Ethan Loomis, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Strategic Economic Research (SER), to unpack the real economic impact of utility-scale wind, solar, and battery projects on rural America.
What you'll discover in this episode:

The Economic Layer Cake: Ethan breaks down the three levels of economic impact from renewable projects - direct jobs (construction and O&M), indirect benefits (local supply chain), and induced effects (hotels, restaurants, gas stations benefiting from workforce influx).

Mind-Blowing Tax Revenue Numbers: Illinois alone has generated over $483 million in property tax revenue from wind and solar projects since 2003, with McLean County receiving $78 million and school districts seeing $1-2 million annually in additional funding.

The Farmland Myth Busted: Learn why the "paving over the breadbasket" argument doesn't hold water - most projects use less than 1% of county farmland, and solar is 10x more energy-efficient than corn ethanol (which uses 45% of U.S. corn production).

Real-World Case Studies: SER has analyzed over 500 projects across 38 states, providing concrete data on how these projects transform rural economies without significantly impacting agricultural production.

Community Engagement Strategies: Practical advice for developers on navigating NIMBY opposition and building genuine community support through transparent economic analysis.

The Rural Reality Check: Why struggling rural communities with declining populations and automated farming are finding renewable energy projects to be economic lifelines.

Whether you're a developer, landowner, policy maker, or simply curious about the renewable energy transition, this episode provides the data-driven insights you need to understand the true economic impact of clean energy projects.

📅 Don't Miss: Learn about SER's annual Illinois Renewable Energy Conference (September 30-October 1 in Normal, IL) with early bird pricing ending June 30th.
Connect with Ethan Loomis: Find him on LinkedIn (Ethan Loomis) or visit strategiceconomic.com to explore their library of publicly available economic impact reports. 🌱 Let's grow solar and storage!

Connect With Ethan Loomis
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-loomis-32409962/
Website: https://www.strategiceconomic.com/

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Check out the Clean Power Hour podcast - your source for the latest cleantech and clean energy news, thought leaders, and innovators! Our mission is to accelerate the Energy Transition with knowledge, insights, and conversations.

Listen to interviews with cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, manufacturers, and energy professionals and stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and trends. Discover the challenges and opportunities of renewable energy, electrification of transportation, and decarbonizing the economy.

00:00 Introduction
02:04 Guest Introduction: Ethan Loomis
02:36 Ethan's Journey into SER
03:52 The Scope and Impact of SER's Work
05:31 Economic Benefits of Renewable Projects
08:47 Understanding the Value Stack
13:29 Addressing Community Concerns
17:02 The Efficiency of Solar vs. Traditional Farming
21:28 Historical Property Tax Revenues from Renewables
26:36 Advice for Developers Facing Opposition
28:45 Annual Renewable Energy Conference
30:17 Closing Remarks and Contact Information