The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced over $7 million has been awarded to projects that co-locate solar and agricultural operations in New York State. Through NYSERDA’s Environmental Research Program, over $2 million was awarded to four projects to demonstrate the potential impacts and benefits of using the same land for renewable energy generation from solar panels and active farming, also known as agrivoltaics. Additionally, a $5 million grant was awarded to Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to construct agrivoltaics projects at its agricultural experiment stations. Together, the demonstration of and research findings gained from these projects will support a broader understanding of the costs, benefits, and market potential for agrivoltaics as part of New York State’s clean energy transition and economic growth.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “We are proud to partner with farmers, developers, and research partners to advance projects that support solar as a resource to produce energy in New York State while sustaining agriculture operations for economic growth. By examining different means of integrating agriculture operations and clean energy siting, we will build our understanding of the costs, benefits and market potential of locating two essential industries in the same space.”
Agriculture is a critically important sector of New York's economy, with over 33,000 farms across approximately 20 percent of the state's land area, or close to 7 million acres. Farmers, many who are struggling, have expressed interest in the potential for solar energy to provide an additional revenue stream to help stabilize farm income and sustain farm operations.
Source : ny.gov