Veterans in Clean Energy - Saving Family Farms With Renewables

Written by: Eric Benninghoff Meet Rickey Stuchell – a former combat medic living in Virginia. He uses clean power to help save family farms and strengthen U.S. energy security. Rickey is a land acquisition director for renewable energy projects. He works with farmers and other landowners to find sites to build wind, solar, and battery storage projects. “For the most part, it’s not a pitch,” Rickey says. “A lot of times, we're just talking about the future. What does the future hold for them?" Rickey has always found ways to connect with people. He put those skills to use from 1990 to 1993 as a combat medic in the U.S. Army. He served in Germany during the Gulf War, and then worked at a military hospital as a medic for cancer patients. "The thing that I still miss more than anything about the military was the camaraderie,” Rickey says. "Those people are still my brothers and sisters.” Learn More About Veterans in Clean Energy Rickey now spends more time on farms than in hospitals – but he still uses the lessons he learned in the Army about building bonds with people in hard spots. Many farmers Rickey meets find it tough to make ends meet. They struggle with rising costs, bad harvests, and other issues. Some think about selling their land just to get by. “When we do these renewable projects, we're giving them an alternative. We're giving them a choice,” Rickey says. Leasing land for clean energy projects can give property owners a new, stable source of income. "We can help them find ways to not only expand and be more profitable, but also to secure that land for the next generation so they don't feel forced to sell." These farmers are not only helping themselves and their families. The projects create local jobs, make power more reliable, and help keep costs low. This is important in places like Rickey’s home state of Virginia, where a surge of data centers requires more energy. A key part of Rickey’s job is to challenge the belief that renewable energy projects use too much farmland. Many people don’t know that farming and energy facilities can exist side by side. Farmers often lease parcels of land where years of farming have made the soil less fertile. Leasing these areas helps many farmers earn a steady check so they can keep farming on other parts of their land. “What we’re doing is not destroying farms, it’s saving farms,” Rickey says. If you’re a veteran who loves clean energy, we want to hear your story! Please email us [email redacted]. You are currently subscribed to receive advocate communication emails. If you would like to stop receiving our emails, please click the unsubscribe link below and then click save. PowerVotes [email redacted] (202) 383-2500 Rinker Design Associates, LLC