SHERIDAN, Wyo. – As more developers seek rural and agricultural acreage for utility-scale solar projects, Solar Lease Buyout is outlining the practical steps landowners should take before they lease land for solar farm projects.
The firm says acreage alone does not make a parcel suitable. Developers typically look for relatively flat, accessible land with limited shading and few conflicts with wetlands, floodplains, or protected habitat, plus a realistic path to the electrical grid. Road access for construction and long-term maintenance also matters. A site that looks promising on a map still requires due diligence.
Many transactions begin with an option period that allows the developer to conduct surveys, environmental reviews, title work, interconnection studies, and permitting before deciding whether to build. Payments during that phase are often lower than operating rent, and the land can be difficult to sell or lease to someone else while the option is in effect. Landowners, the firm says, should understand how long the option lasts, when higher payments begin, and what happens if the project is delayed or cancelled.
“This is a major real estate decision, not a handshake deal,” said David Espinosa, founder and CEO of Solar Lease Buyout. “Before a landowner agrees to commit their property, they should know who will actually control the project, which acres are covered, when money starts, and how the land will be restored when the project ends.”
The firm recommends that owners gather property records early, including deeds, surveys, existing leases, easements, and any known environmental issues, and that they obtain written terms rather than relying on verbal promises. Beyond rent, it advises close review of access rights, tax allocation, insurance, drainage and soil protection, assignment rights, and a funded removal and restoration plan. Continued farming, grazing, or other uses outside the project area should be stated in the lease if the landowner wants them preserved.
Solar Lease Buyout provides free, no-obligation reviews of developer proposals and negotiates on the landowner’s behalf. The firm works exclusively for landowners, not developers, and charges no fees or commissions to the property owners it represents.
Property owners who have been approached about a project can request a consultation through Solar Lease Buyout.
About Solar Lease Buyout
Solar Lease Buyout is a national consulting firm specializing in solar farm land lease representation for landowners. Founded in 2004 and led by founder and CEO David Espinosa, the firm has represented property owners in transactions nationwide, working exclusively on behalf of landowners – never developers. Learn more at https://solarleasebuyout.com/.
Email: david@solarleasebuyout.com
Media Contact
Name
Solar Lease Buyout
Contact name
David Espinosa
Contact phone
866-420-8248
Contact address
30 N Gould Street, Suite R
City
Sheridan
State
WY
Zip
82801
Country
US
Url
https://solarleasebuyout.com/
