Agrivoltaics in New York State: Framing the Opportunity

The Vision:

ACE NY supports a pathway for achieving New York State’s clean energy and decarbonization targets that includes producing solar energy on farmland in a manner that preserves and improves soil quality, provides ecosystem services, and maintains affordable electricity prices for consumers. Solar energy production is an efficient way to generate electricity in and provide new revenues to rural host communities. Agrivoltaics provides added value by maintaining the status of active agricultural lands.

The Alliance for Clean Energy Believes:

…that solar energy and farming can exist alongside one another, and each industry can help the other in meaningful ways while supporting individual farmers and their communities. This document, prepared by EDR with ACE NY member input, is intended to be a resource to the members of ACE NY and other stakeholders that compiles considerations for agrivoltaic development in New York. This document will be updated as needed to reflect emerging best practices, policies, research, and program development.

The report includes:

·      What is Agrivolatics?

·      Incentives

·      Permitting

·      Siting and Design Practices

·      Construction Practices

·      Operations and Maintenance Practices

·      Decommissioning Practices

·      Future Outlook

·      Additional Resources