National policy on solar power generation on farmland

Should solar energy be located on farmland?

Locating solar energy on farmland could significantly increase the available land for solar development, while maintaining land in agricultural production and expanding economic opportunities for farmers, rural communities, and the solar industry.

Will agricultural land be used for solar energy?

Agricultural land in the U.S. has the technical potential to provide 27 terawatts of solar energy capacity. This is a quarter of the total U.S. solar energy capacity of 115 TW. Only 0.3% of farmland is expected to be used for solar energy by 2035. Will using land for solar panels drive up the price of food?

Should farmland be converted to solar?

At a global scale, it is estimated that 1% of all farmland could produce the world’s energy needs if converted to solar PV. While these figures are appealing to clean energy advocates, stewards of farmland are concerned because of the strong appeal of turning vast acres of flat land in sunny regions into agrivoltaic systems.

How can farmers benefit from solar energy?

Farmers can benefit from solar energy in several ways—by leasing farmland for solar; installing a solar system on a house, barn, or other building; or through agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics is defined as agriculture, such as crop production, livestock grazing, and pollinator habitat, located underneath solar panels and/or between rows of solar panels.

Can agrivoltaics increase access to land for black and immigrant farmers?

Adding farming to existing solar energy sites is being explored as an approach to increase access to land for historically disadvantaged groups, such as Black and immigrant farmers. At the same time, questions remain for farmers about how to do agrivoltaics, including which crops are suitable in a shaded environment.

What is the protecting future farmland Act?

U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Protecting Future Farmland Act, legislation that aims to provide a framework for protecting agrivoltaic farmland. The bill amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 and aims to modify the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).