Solar development is becoming an important source of income for Texas farmers as the state’s electricity demand and solar generation expand. Steve Cargil leases 600 acres of his Uvalde farm to OCI Energy for $200,000 a year, allowing him to continue farming through severe drought and plan more confidently for the property’s future. Texas overtook California as the biggest U.S. generator of electricity from solar farms, and solar produced more power than coal in the state for the first time in March last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Supporters cite low generation costs, rapid grid connections and rising demand, while opponents in Franklin County object to tree clearing, runoff, landscape changes and lithium-ion battery fires. The debate extends into politics: President Trump has criticized renewable energy, but a February poll by Fabrizio Lee and Associates found that 68% of Republican voters supported using all forms of electricity generation, including utility solar, to keep costs down.