{"id":27107,"date":"2023-02-08t17:41:09","date_gmt":"2023-02-08t17:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.planetforward.com\/2023\/02\/08\/in-colorado-the-soil-beneath-solar-panels-is-ripe-for-growing-crops\/"},"modified":"2023-08-07t18:26:01","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07t18:26:01","slug":"soil-beneath-solar-panels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/soil-beneath-solar-panels\/","title":{"rendered":"in colorado, the soil beneath solar panels is ripe for growing crops"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
the story was originally published in the colorado sun<\/a> on jan. 22, 2023.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n b<\/strong><\/em>y gabe allen & tyler hickman<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n once-verdant fields, farms and forests are reduced to gravel lots to make way for utility-scale solar plants at sites around the country. at some, carefully trimmed kentucky bluegrass is permitted to grow beneath the panels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n but one solar project in colorado breaks this mold. south of longmont, just off of hover road, savory herbs, sweet berries, veggies and hay flourish between rows of elevated photovoltaic panels. jack\u2019s solar garden is the largest commercially active research facility in the united states for \u201cagrivoltaics,\u201d a land-use model that combines agriculture with solar power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n in just a few acres, the site grows produce for a local farm, produces enough electricity to power 300 homes and hosts researchers from three separate institutions. the project preserves the tradition of the land, which is a third-generation hay operation. at the same time, it is well-positioned for a future in which colorado\u2019s energy needs are increasingly met by renewable sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n the idea behind agrivoltaics is simple: use the \u201cempty\u201d space beneath solar panels to grow stuff. the concept is still young. agrivoltaic farms and research sites are owned and operated by a few advocates around the country. during this legislative session, however, two colorado senators plan to introduce a bipartisan bill that could position the state as a leader in agrivoltaics research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n it\u2019s not the first time the topic has been brought to the statehouse. in 2021, senate democrats passed senate bill 235,<\/a> providing $3 million of funding for advancing colorado\u2019s renewable energy and energy efficiency program. of this, a small portion was allocated to purchasing equipment for agrivoltaic operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cwe’re not the first state to recognize agrivoltaics, but we\u2019re the first state to establish agrivoltaics in statute, and also funding from state funds,\u201d said sen. sonya jaquez lewis, the bill\u2019s prime sponsor. jack\u2019s solar garden is in her district and after touring the facility, a 10-minute drive from her home, she says she was hooked on the idea of agrivoltaics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n last year, agrivoltaics appeared at the capitol once again. senate bill 138<\/a>, sponsored by denver democrat chris hansen, did not fare as well as its predecessor. five years of funding for agrivoltaics research was proposed with a hodgepodge of policies intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in colorado. house republicans mounted a last-second filibuster,<\/a> killing the legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n bills concerning agrivoltaics have been primarily sponsored by democrats until now. this year, a republican lawmaker from alamosa intends to change that. sen. cleave simpson first became interested in solar agriculture as a potential solution to the challenges that his family faces on alfalfa farm. years of water scarcity had made the 800-acre operation financially tenuous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201ci was trying to figure out how to make my farm self-sufficient in a lot of respects \u2014 energy, soil health and water,\u201d simpson said. \u201call of these things kind of come together in this conversation around agrivoltaics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n simpson predicts that constituents in his sprawling southern colorado district<\/a> will share his interest in the new technology. over the past two decades, he has seen neighboring farms and ranches struggle to stay afloat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cif the next 20 years look like the last 20 years from a water supply perspective, there’s probably 100,000 acres in the valley that doesn’t have an adequate water supply,\u201d he said. \u201cthe entire community\u2019s economy, culture and community is built around irrigated agriculture and i just see this freight train coming down the track at it. i\u2019m routinely looking for solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n at its core, agrivoltaics is a marriage of traditional land use with forward-looking infrastructure. instead of clearing farm fields and pastures to make way for power production, landowners may be able to adapt time-honored agricultural operations to incorporate a second revenue source. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201ceconomics is certainly the biggest driving factor,\u201d simpson said. \u201ci wouldn\u2019t want to risk the economic viability of my family farm and my son\u2019s future and my grandson\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n in january, gov. jared polis, a democrat, reiterated in his annual state of the state address<\/a> his goal for colorado to generate 100% of its electricity through renewables by 2040. the goal is part of a broader effort <\/a>to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in colorado. last year, major utilities, including xcel energy, submitted clean energy plans to the state that detailed how they would contribute to the transition, including building more renewable energy generation, like wind and solar farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n simpson said he sees the writing on the wall. renewables are expanding in colorado, and he wants them to benefit farmers when they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cif i can be in a space to help drive the conversation and protect ag, i\u2019d much rather be in that space than trying to reverse policy,\u201d simpson said. \u201cin this position, i have a little more control over what it ends up looking like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n in the coming legislative session, simpson plans to introduce a stand-alone bill that creates a grant program for agrivoltaic projects overseen by the newly formed agriculture drought and climate resilience office. according to a draft, the grants will be available to \u201cnew or ongoing demonstration or research project as a means to study the use of agrivoltaics in the state.\u201d it will be the first state law in the country to provide funding for agrivoltaics research, though massachusetts passed a law funding agrivoltaic generation<\/a> projects in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n hansen will co-sponsor the legislation, and some of the language will be reused from senate bill 138. they are optimistic the bill will pass this time around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201csometimes, with new concepts, people can have some reservations and hesitation,\u201d simpson said. \u201cif senator hansen and i are working on it together, it’ll alleviate potential apprehensions on both sides of the aisle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nmaximizing space with a multi-use approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n