By M. Charles Gould
There is broad recognition that solar development can be sited in locations other than farmland, and that those alternatives should be evaluated first. However, solar projects already exist on farmland, additional projects are awaiting state or local review, and others are planned throughout Michigan's agricultural regions. When solar projects are built on farmland, it does not mean the land can’t be used to grow crops or graze livestock.
Producing food and power on the same land
Agriculture and solar is not a zero-sum proposition, meaning that if solar is put on agricultural land then agriculture must cease. That is simply not true, but it requires a paradigm shift in the way people think about how food is grown. Food for human consumption and electricity generation can occur on the same ground. In fact, not doing so may be one of the greatest missed opportunities in the future of sustainable land use. For example, if the vegetative groundcover of every currently operating and in-construction utility-scale solar facility (6.45 GW on approximately 32,000 acres in Michigan) was managed as an agricultural operation, the acreage could transform our state’s sheep industry from $13.9 million to $40 million in annual farm cash receipts and up to $115 million in annual regional economic contribution. This is where agrivoltaics offers a practical pathway to strengthen both energy and food security without requiring additional land. Agrivoltaic projects can be found throughout the United States and around the world (click here for a map of U.S. dual-use projects).
Farmer choice and land use decisions
Conversations with farmers over the years have repeatedly highlighted the importance of respecting private property rights and farmers' ability to make decisions regarding their land. Farmers don’t post a notice for public comment when they are going to grow soybeans in a field that grew corn the previous season. We accept the fact that they have made the best decision for their farming enterprise. No one questions their judgment. Why should that be any different for a farmer who recognizes the benefit of a solar project for their farming enterprise? Farm families who have owned and cared for their land for generations deserve a meaningful voice in determining its future.
Source : msu.edu