Solar energy developers are expanding their focus toward dual-use agricultural land, where solar panels can operate alongside traditional farming activities. This approach, known as agrivoltaics or agri-PV, addresses longstanding criticisms that solar farms consume arable land without generating agricultural output. By integrating solar infrastructure with crop production and livestock grazing, the technology allows both activities to coexist on the same property.
The dual-use model provides multiple benefits. Farmers gain supplementary revenue streams from the same land they already cultivate, helping them weather climate-related challenges affecting agricultural livelihoods. The solar panels themselves function more efficiently when positioned over farmland, as crops beneath them release water vapor that helps cool the panels, while the panels provide shade that reduces soil evaporation and protects crops during peak heat hours. This symbiotic relationship has gained traction across multiple regions despite historical opposition to large-scale solar development.
California is pursuing an ambitious agrivoltaics expansion through the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan, which aims to deploy 21 gigawatts of solar capacity and matching battery storage across 136,000 acres within the next decade. The project targets approximately 70,000 acres of fallow farmland in the San Joaquin Valley that has been idle due to water shortages. Once operational, the installation is projected to supply renewable energy to over 10 million homes and support California’s goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.
Virgia has also moved to encourage agrivoltaics development by establishing a formal state definition for the practice in June. The state faces increasing pressure to expand renewable energy capacity as data center growth drives up electricity demand, while local opposition to traditional solar projects has led nearly two-thirds of Virginia counties to restrict large-scale development. Research from the European Commission indicates that deploying agrivoltaics across just one percent of Europe’s agricultural land could generate hundreds of terawatt-hours of electricity annually, with Greece announcing plans for 130 megawatts of agrivoltaics capacity.
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