Solar and farming in New York: Conflict or co-benefit?

New York state targets a goal of 70% renewable energy by 2030 and 90% by 2040 as it pursues an emissions-free energy system. About 15% of the generation mix is expected to be served by solar energy, which comes with challenges regarding land use.

A study by Cornell University found that about 84% of the land identified as suitable for development in the state – which would host its demand of 140 GW – is agricultural land. Thus far, about 40% of the utility-scale solar developed in New York is developed on agricultural land, found the study.

“Solar farms are already taking up agricultural land and it will likely take even more to achieve New York’s energy goals,” said Max Zhang, professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering, Cornell University. “For the solar-energy community, this is not a surprise. But for the agricultural community, this is a surprise.

A Cornell survey of landowners in New York that live near transmission lines and substations found differing attitudes toward solar development. It found that farmers were more opposed than non-farmers to large-scale solar development in their area. The survey also found that farmers were more likely than non-farmers to be approached by solar developers but less likely to lease their land.

“Some people fear this will be the death of farming, that people are going to lease their acres for solar panels and that’ll be it – it will be an ‘exit strategy’ and that land will be lost to production,” said Rich Stedman, professor of natural resources and the environment, Cornell University. “Other people have hypothesized that the additional income will enable people who want to stay in farming to do so.”

What’s more, Cornell found that of farmers who have leased their land for solar development, only about half expect to continue to produce agricultural products on the land now occupied by solar panels.

“Because agricultural land is so ‘in the crosshairs’ with utility-scale solar, it’s very important that we figure out how to avoid prime farmland and how to work with farmers in a way that honors what they actually do and want to do,” said Stedman.

Losing productive farmland to energy generation highlights the need for advancing agrivoltaics – the co-location of solar and agricultural practice.

In 2024, Cornell launched an Agrivoltaics Research Program with $1 million in initial funding from the state. The program conducted studies on engineering, economics, and social science of agrivoltaics.

The program found that larger farms and “prime farmland” may not be highly suited for agrivoltaics. While more traditional, smaller-scale farms could accommodate solar arrays with gaps for 8-foot mowers, larger-scale farms with 30-foot wide mowers would pose engineering challenges.

While large farms with prime farmland may not readily host solar arrays, smaller farms may benefit from the additional revenue streams provided by leasing land to developers. This may be particularly beneficial to farms located on sub-prime soils or for newer farms looking to establish themselves financially.

Linda Garrett, New York regional director of the American Farmland Trust, said for small and beginning farmers, agrivoltaics could represent a “farm viability tool.”

Agrivoltaics have presented an opportunity for Elizabeth Ryan, who owns the Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider and the 1,000-acre Stone Ridge apple orchard. Ryan is currently in early negotiations to install solar on the orchards.

Ryan said agrivoltaics are the “missing link” for solar and farming. “They allow growers to dual-crop, so to speak: harvest the sun and harvest plants or graze livestock under the panels,” said Ryan.

“If a grower can get some revenue from leasing land to these solar companies and still get hay off, grow crops or graze livestock, that could be really important for the farm’s viability,” said Antonio DiTomasso, professor of crop sciences, Cornell University.

Studies have shown that the benefits of agrivoltaics may extend beyond the dual income stream from a single land space. The University of Arizona observed mutual benefits, particularly in sunny and arid climates, where the solar arrays provide shade for crops, and crops absorb heat and water, improving panel efficiency and durability.

Cornell research has supported this finding of improved solar operations due to co-located crops. Using a physics-based model, Zhang demonstrated that when panels are placed 4 meters (13 feet) above soybean fields, they are up to 10 degrees Celsius cooler, compared with panels placed over bare ground.

This cooling effect makes solar panels more efficient and longer lasting. Better operations of solar equipment is highly important for agrivoltaics systems, as the engineering requirements of higher mounting systems poses additional costs.

“The cost-effectiveness of agrivoltaics systems is crucial to market adoption and the overall energy transition,” said Zhang. “As solar becomes a major source of electricity generation in the near future, we must ensure electricity remains affordable for the public.”

Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Energy expects that about 10 million acres will be needed to reach renewables generation goals by 2050. In some regions, the challenge of finding suitable land for agrivoltaics may be less difficult than in population-dense New York. A study from Oregon State University found that agrivoltaics could provide 20% of the total electricity generation in the United States.

The paper found that an area about the size of Maryland would be needed if agrivoltaics were to meet 20% of U.S. electricity generation. That’s about 13,000 square miles, or 1% of current U.S. farmland.

Currently, agrivoltaics represent less than 5% of the solar capacity installed in the United States, said the American Farmland Trust, which recently released a series of policy recommendations to support further development.

“To make it work, we need to push the envelope on the engineering, the policy, the economics, the ecology – everything,” said DiTomasso.

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