Minnesota Solar Sites Increased Native Bee Populations

Researchers found that native prairie plantings at two solar arrays tripled total insect abundance by 2022.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Environmental

Clusters of wildflowers and native grasses growing under rows of solar panels in a wide prairie landscape. — Researchers in Minnesota found that integrating native prairie grasses at solar sites tripled total insect abundance and significantly increased native bee populations by 2022. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should solar power companies be required to plant native vegetation around their solar arrays?

Between 2018 and 2022, researchers observed a significant rise in insect populations at the Atwater and Eastwood solar sites in Minnesota. Total insect abundance tripled at the locations, while native bee numbers increased roughly twentyfold.

Why it matters

The study demonstrates that integrating native prairie grasses and wildflowers into solar infrastructure can create essential habitats. These plantings provide flowers, nesting grounds, and wind shelter, which supports biodiversity in agricultural regions.

Researchers logged 358 transect observations across 77 acres of solar land. The study utilized data collected over four years to measure the density of native bees and other beneficial insects.

The players

Atwater solar site

This facility features a 4-megawatt capacity and occupies 35 acres of land in Minnesota.

Eastwood solar site

This solar installation has a 5.5-megawatt capacity and covers 42 acres of land.

The details

Crews seeded native prairie grasses and wildflowers between rows of solar panels following the completion of site construction. The study found that bee visitation to neighboring soybean flowers at these sites was comparable to visitation levels observed in Conservation Reserve Program grasslands.

Construction concluded at the Atwater and Eastwood sites in 2017.
Native grasses and flowering plants were seeded in early 2018.
Researchers conducted monitoring from August 2018 through August 2022.

The Big Picture

This research provides a new benchmark for land-use efficiency by bridging the gap between renewable energy production and ecological conservation. It challenges the hypothesis that industrial energy sites are inherently detrimental to local biodiversity.

This research highlights how landowners and solar operators can improve local ecosystem health by adopting native landscaping. These practices could potentially increase pollination services for neighboring farms, directly benefiting local agricultural production.

The takeaway

Solar energy projects can serve a dual purpose as both power generators and ecological preserves when managed with native vegetation. Homeowners and landowners can replicate these results by prioritizing native prairie plantings to attract beneficial insects.