REAP guide

REAP cropland rule: ground-mount solar and wind

Last updated October 2, 2026. Reflects USDA's October 1, 2026 final rule.

Under the REAP rule published October 1, 2026, a ground mount solar system or wind turbine installed on Cropland is not eligible for a REAP grant. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(11)) Cropland means what the Farm Service Agency says it means in 7 CFR 718.2. (7 CFR §4280.104) Rooftop systems are not covered by this ban, but they must still meet every other REAP rule.

What the rule says

The rule lists projects that cannot get REAP assistance. A project that includes any one of them is ineligible. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)) Three items on that list deal with ground-mount solar, wind, and Cropland.

The application also asks you to say whether Cropland was used for the project, and if so, how many acres. (7 CFR §4280.131(b)(12))

Why USDA added it

USDA says many stakeholders raised concerns that some large ground mount solar projects were inflating land prices, displacing productive Cropland, or exceeding a business's actual energy needs. USDA says the updated rule focuses REAP on appropriately scaled, on-farm systems, not large or utility scale solar (rule discussion, Federal Register 2026-20178). USDA also says the retrofit limit on wind and solar systems on Cropland is part of Executive Order 14315 (rule discussion, Federal Register 2026-20178).

What counts as cropland

The REAP rule does not write its own definition. It says Cropland has the meaning in 7 CFR 718.2. (7 CFR §4280.104) That is the Farm Service Agency definition. Under 7 CFR 718.2, Cropland is land that the county committee determines meets any of these conditions:

• It is currently tilled to produce a crop for harvest. No-till seeding, such as drilling or broadcast seeding, counts as tilled.
• It is not tilled now, but it was tilled in a prior year and is suitable for crop production.
• It is in a one-row or two-row shelter belt, an orchard, or a vineyard.
• It is in terraces that were cropped in the past, even if they can no longer be cropped.
• It is in sod waterways or filter strips planted to a perennial cover.
• It is preserved as cropland under 7 CFR part 1410.
• It was newly broken out to plant a crop the producer intends to carry through to harvest, using normal practices for the area.

The same FSA definition lets the county committee remove land from the cropland classification. Examples include land no longer used for agricultural production, land no longer suitable for crops, land under a restrictive easement or contract that prohibits crop production, and land converted to ponds, tanks, or certain trees (7 CFR 718.2).

Note that land you do not crop today can still be cropland under this definition, for example if it was tilled in a prior year and is suitable for crops (7 CFR 718.2).

What is still allowed

• Rooftop solar. The cropland ban applies to ground mount systems. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(11)) Rooftop systems must still follow the foreign component rule, which applies to roof mount and ground mount systems alike. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(19)) (rule discussion, Federal Register 2026-20178)
• Ground mount on land that is not Cropland. The ban in (b)(11) only covers systems installed on Cropland. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(11)) These systems must still document commensurate historical energy usage. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(13))
• Every other requirement still applies. For example, the project must be completed 12 to 24 months before you apply. (7 CFR §4280.122(a)(1)) See who qualifies for the full list.

Retrofits

The rule defines Retrofitting as adding equipment or processes to an existing renewable energy system, or altering or enhancing it, to improve production, efficiency, or financial viability. It also covers replacing existing parts with parts that improve the original design. Normal operation and maintenance to keep a system working properly and safely is not Retrofitting. (7 CFR §4280.104)

Under the new rule, you cannot get REAP funds to retrofit an existing ground mount solar or wind system, on any land. You also cannot get REAP funds to retrofit any solar or wind system that sits on Cropland. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(7)) Separately, adding an energy storage system to an existing renewable energy system is not eligible. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(18)(i))

Historical energy usage for ground-mount systems

A ground mount solar or wind project is ineligible if it cannot document commensurate historical energy usage. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(13)) USDA says this is meant to make sure systems match genuine energy use (rule discussion, Federal Register 2026-20178).

The rule does not define "commensurate" or give a size ratio for this test. All renewable energy applications must provide 12 consecutive months of energy use from before installation and 12 months of energy produced after installation. (7 CFR §4280.131(b)(17)(i)) If you are unsure whether your system is sized close enough to your past use, ask your State Energy Coordinator before you apply. You can also estimate your score.

Is there an exception for projects finished before the rule?

The rule discussion says USDA identified an exception for projects completed before the rule was published. It says the purpose is to let applicants transition to components made in countries not named as foreign adversaries (rule discussion, Federal Register 2026-20178). In the codified rule, that exception appears in the foreign component rule: projects installed before the publication date are exempt from it. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(19))

The cropland rule, the retrofit rule, and the historical energy usage rule do not contain a similar exception. (7 CFR §4280.122(b)(7), (b)(11), (b)(13)) If your ground-mount system on Cropland was finished before October 1, 2026, the rule text does not give it a pass. Confirm your case with your State Energy Coordinator. For more on the component rule, see our foreign adversary guide.

How to check if your land is cropland

Under 7 CFR 718.2, the FSA county committee makes the cropland determination (7 CFR 718.2). So the best place to ask is your local FSA office. FSA county offices are in USDA Service Centers, and FSA lists how to find the nearest one on its contact page. Ask them whether the land where your system sits, or will sit, is classified as cropland. Keep a record of their answer with your project files.

The REAP rule does not say what proof of land status USDA will ask for beyond the Cropland question on the application. (7 CFR §4280.131(b)(12)) Your State Energy Coordinator can tell you what they expect.

Next steps

• Check whether your business and project qualify.
• See whether the application window is open.
• Read our overview of the 2026 REAP rule.

If you want help sorting out a ground-mount or cropland question before you apply, CGF can help.

Related guides

• REAP old rules vs. new rules
• REAP foreign adversary component rule
• REAP highest-level owner rule
• REAP grant amounts