powering a legacy: how Solar is helping One family preserve their land for generations

Meet Linda Morrison Swenson, a third-generation rancher in Texas. Like so many in her shoes, Linda cares deeply about her land and doing right by her family.  Leasing part of her property for a solar farm is helping her preserve the legacy of her land and keep the land in the family for generations to come.
Linda Morrison Swenson, third-generation Texas rancher
Linda Morrison Swenson, third-generation Texas rancher
“My great-grandparents worked extremely hard, my grandparents worked extremely hard, my mother worked extremely hard, and solar gives us an opportunity to keep the land in the family for many, many years to come. And to me, that's a big win.”
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“I guess I'm the matriarch of the family now. I am an only child and so the ranch is under my care. I have three children and six grandchildren. I live here in Spur, Texas and this ranch is my life.”
"My grandfather started the ranch. He worked as a cowboy for the Espuela Landing Cattle Company, and he came here in 1898. My father was born in1921. And he and my grandfather worked and worked and worked to hold this ranch together. They lived through droughts, cattle diseases, depression, everything.” Along with her family, Linda weighed her options when considering whether to lease land for solar.
Linda’s grandfather (left) and father (right), worked throughout their lives to keep the ranch together; a legacy Linda keeps with the help of solar farming.
Linda’s grandfather (left) and father (right), worked throughout their lives to keep the ranch together; a legacy Linda keeps with the help of solar farming.
“Well, I have to tell you, at first, I was opposed. And then I began to think of what this could mean for our family generationally. As we thought about it more and our goals for the future, one of the primary goals was to keep the land in the family for generations to come. And we felt like solar was a good way to do that.”

Fortunately, Linda lives in a county that respects her right as a property owner to do what she wishes with her own land and make the best choice for her family.

Long-term solar leases like Linda’s provide a stable source of income to landowners, farmers and ranchers that is not dependent on weather, commodity pricing, or global trade issues. In Kansas alone, operating solar land lease payments total $71.1million annually, according to the American Clean Power Association.

That’s in addition to the wider economic benefits of these projects, which benefit the entire community. The Rainbow Springs Solar project in Cherokee County, for example, would provide a $38 million boost to the county to fund essential services like road repairs, new safety equipment for first responders, and salary increases for teachers.

Linda testifies to the financial difference solar has made for her. “Clearway putting this solar farm here has made it profitable to keep this ranch going.”

Linda’s son,John Eric Swenson has been very involved with Clearway and the solar project and had this to add:
John Eric Swenson, Linda’s son, says it was a “wise decision” to partner with Clearway for solar panels on the family ranch.
John Eric Swenson, Linda’s son, says it was a “wise decision” to partner with Clearway for solar panels on the family ranch.
“I feel like it was a very wise decision. Clearway has been excellent to work with and very cooperative…when someone like Clearway comes to the table, I would definitely consider it.”
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In the end, Linda feels like she made the right decision for her family. “[Clearway] understood that this is a generational ranch and they've gone out of their way to accommodate us. It's just been a good experience.”
Clearway is committed to helping keep family farms and ranches like The Morrison Ranch in their families for the long-term. We are approaching Cherokee County with the same commitment to landowners that we made to Linda and her family in Texas. We are committed to being partners and to help provide stability and prosperity for families, the community and the future.