Communities that host solar energy generation facilities experience positive impacts on the local economy in different ways. One of the most notable is the local tax revenue generated once a project is operational. This local tax revenue may be allocated to the local school districts, libraries, hospitals, townships, and county general funds. Most importantly, this offers a long-term, recession-proof revenue stream to the local economies without added burden on municipal services (police, emergency services, sewer, schools, water).
During the construction phase, solar projects will also boost secondary economic benefits as the construction workers will drive increased traffic to small local businesses, such as gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores in the area.
In addition to creating direct and indirect economic surges, a new solar project will also bring jobs to the local area. During project construction, hundreds of temporary jobs are created. Then post-construction, there will be a few permanent operations and maintenance positions needed over the life of the project.
For projects where land is leased from residents in a targeted area, solar lease agreements offer steady, reliable income and provide landowners with a means for diversifying their cash flow. Today, farmers choose to host energy projects as a new drought-resistant cash crop that provides additional revenue for generations.