# Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Cortland County, New York > Cortland County, New York: eight utility-scale solar plants, 52 MW (AC). Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. - URL: https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/cortland - Last updated: 2026-11-01 - Publisher: Buckhead Energy (https://www.buckheadenergy.com/) - Format: full-content Markdown twin of the page (same content as the HTML; site navigation and footer removed) Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/) › [Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties) › [New York](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork) › Cortland County Quick answer Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. Cortland County, New York has eight utility-scale solar plants of at least 1 MW, with 52 MW (AC) of capacity in total, according to the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026). ## Utility-scale solar plants in Cortland County The plants came online between 2016 and 2023.^\[1\] One of the seven plants with a recorded mounting type use tracking systems that follow the sun, and six use fixed-tilt panels.^\[1\] | Plant | Online | Capacity (MW AC) | Mounting | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | NY8 - Janis Solar | 2022 | 20 | Fixed tilt | | Bellisario Solar 1 | 2021 | 5 | Fixed tilt | | Bellisario Solar 2 | 2021 | 5 | Fixed tilt | | Bellisario Solar 3 | 2021 | 5 | Fixed tilt | | Cortlandville I Solar (CSG) | 2021 | 5 | Fixed tilt | | Cortlandville III Solar CSG | 2022 | 5 | Tracking | | Source Power NY II - Locust 1 | 2023 | 5 | Not recorded | | Harford Solar Farm | 2016 | 2 | Fixed tilt | Source: U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USGS, LBNL), version 4.0, released April 14, 2026. Data compiled November 1, 2026. ## What the data means for solar lease owners in Cortland County The oldest utility-scale solar plant in the county came online in 2016.^\[1\] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^\[2\] The newest came online in 2023.^\[1\] Federal guidance for farmers describes solar lease payments as typically structured as a fixed annual or monthly fee per acre, or as a percentage of the energy generated by the solar panels.^\[3\] Rent during the operations period will likely include an inflation adjustment, which may be tied to a measure like the Consumer Price Index or set at a fixed rate.^\[4\] ## Solar leases in New York Some solar leases limit what the landowner may do with the payments: an example lease published by a New York State commission bars the landowner from severing the lease payments or assigning them to a third party without the developer's consent.^\[6\] ## What you sell and what you keep What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. Solar rent is paid period by period, the operations period may last 20 years or more, and renewals are at the developer's option.^\[4\] The land can be converted back to agricultural uses at the end of the installation's operational life.^\[3\] Educational information only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. The figures are public reference data, not a valuation or appraisal of any interest. Consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or landman about your specific situation. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many utility-scale solar plants are in Cortland County, New York? Cortland County, New York has eight utility-scale solar plants of at least 1 MW, with 52 MW (AC) of capacity in total, according to the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026).^\[1\] Utility-scale power plants have at least one megawatt of electricity generation capacity.^\[5\] ### Which solar plants operate in Cortland County? The largest plants are NY8 - Janis Solar (2022, 20 MW AC), Bellisario Solar 1 (2021, 5 MW AC), Bellisario Solar 2 (2021, 5 MW AC), Bellisario Solar 3 (2021, 5 MW AC), Cortlandville I Solar (CSG) (2021, 5 MW AC), Cortlandville III Solar CSG (2022, 5 MW AC) and Source Power NY II - Locust 1 (2023, 5 MW AC).^\[1\] The next are Harford Solar Farm (2016, 2 MW AC).^\[1\] ### Can I sell solar lease payments or royalties in Cortland County? Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. ### When did solar plants in Cortland County come online? Of the plants with a recorded year, one came online in the 2010s and seven in the 2020s.^\[1\] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^\[2\] ### Which nearby New York counties also have utility-scale solar plants? Nearby New York counties with utility-scale solar plants include Tompkins County (53.1 MW AC), Chenango County (48.3 MW AC), Tioga County (75.8 MW AC), Cayuga County (47.2 MW AC) and Madison County (27.1 MW AC).^\[1\] ### What does New York law say about solar leases? Some solar leases limit what the landowner may do with the payments: an example lease published by a New York State commission bars the landowner from severing the lease payments or assigning them to a third party without the developer's consent.^\[6\] ## Related pages [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in New York](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork) [Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties) [Mineral rights in New York](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights/newyork) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Tompkins County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/tompkins) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Chenango County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/chenango) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Tioga County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/tioga) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Cayuga County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/cayuga) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Madison County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/madison) ## Sources \[1\] [U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026)](https://energy.usgs.gov/uspvdb/) — U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (accessed November 1, 2026) \[2\] [Solar Lease Considerations for Landowners](https://mytexas.ag.tamu.edu/publications/solar-lease-considerations-for-landowners/) — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (accessed November 1, 2026) \[3\] [Farmer's Guide to Going Solar](https://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/farmers-guide-going-solar) — U.S. Department of Energy (accessed November 1, 2026) \[4\] [Farmland Owner's Guide to Solar Leasing](https://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/articles/hall_solar_Leasing.pdf) — Ohio State University Extension and the National Agricultural Law Center (accessed November 1, 2026) \[5\] [Solar explained: Where solar is found and used](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/solar/where-solar-is-found.php) — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026) \[6\] [Planning for Offsite Solar Energy Projects (Issue Paper Series, example solar lease)](https://tughill.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Planning-for-Offsite-Solar-Energy-Projects.pdf) — New York State Tug Hill Commission (accessed November 1, 2026) ## Ready to Sell Your Solar Lease Payments or Royalties? Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. [Get a Free Written Offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell#inquiry:source=%2Fsolar-lease-royalties%2Fnewyork%2Fcortland&county=Cortland+County) ## Frequently Asked Questions **When did solar plants in Cortland County come online?** Of the plants with a recorded year, one came online in the 2010s and seven in the 2020s. Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years. ## About Buckhead Energy Buckhead Energy is a direct buyer, not a broker — we purchase mineral and royalty interests with our own capital. Buckhead Energy buys mineral and royalty interests across all 50 states and has completed acquisitions in 33 states. Buckhead Energy has been buying mineral and royalty interests since 2006. Buckhead Energy holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Buckhead provides a free written offer. Buckhead Energy typically provides an offer within 24–48 hours. Closings typically take 30–45 days, subject to title review and clearance. Buckhead Energy's written offers stay open for 14 days. **Sell mineral rights:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell **Operator directory:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/operators