In 2021 The White House’s executive order, aimed at “tackling the climate crisis”, set America on the path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 (The White House, 2021).  Investors and developers’ interest in industrial scale renewable green energy skyrocketed with these federal priorities and funding investments (Nathaniel, et al, 2021; Pata, et al, 2022).  County jurisdictions have received almost 100 solar plant applications across Nevada, approximately 50 of which are in the southern part of the state (Alonzo, 2023).  Overwhelmed with the quantity of applications, public comments and potential for impact, Nye County implemented a moratorium on solar project applications and development (Nye County BOCC, 2022; Nye County BOCC, 2023).  This additional time is intended for public comment and for County officials to reevaluate capacity and planning.  The county seeks a better understanding of options that address legitimate concerns and fear surrounding industrial scale solar – particularly about how these expansive projects will impact the lives of the people, wildlife, ecology and land. One potential solution for addressing these issues, lies within shared land use strategies such as agrivoltaics.  Before Nevada jurisdictions, such as Nye County, can evaluate the potential of agrivoltaics in their communities, it is important to have a general understanding of what agrivoltaics is in relation to potential economic impacts at the local, state and national levels.

What is Agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics is a shared land use strategy between solar and agriculture.  There are multiple types of shared land use strategies, where two operations share the same land.  On a small scale, a home’s rooftop solar panels serve as an example of shared land use strategies.  In this scenario, solar panels and a roof occupy the same space for two separate purposes – to create energy through solar panels and to create shelter from the roof.  On a larger scale, agrivoltaics is a shared land use strategy that conducts agricultural operations under solar panels (Dinesh, 2016).  Under the solar panels, farming and ranching occurs.  Interestingly, researchers have identified a synergetic relationship between solar panels and agriculture, in which they perform better with each other than either one alone.  Solar panels provide shade for plants which reduces their water requirements and keeps the plants cooler.  Plants have a light saturation point, so they can only deal with a certain amount of sun - anything beyond that threshold results in a loss of moisture (Dinesh, 2016; Higgins, 2021).  These protected crops, grown under solar panels, in turn reduce solar panel temperatures allowing them to operate more efficiently (Hassanpour Adeh, et al., 2018).  In addition to solar panel shade protecting the plants, they also protect livestock and farm workers from extreme heat, positively impacting their health and wellness.  This synergetic relationship demonstrates that solar and agriculture are better together (Barron-Gafford, G., et al., 2019).

Local Impacts

While solar and agriculture operations benefit one another, there are also many economic impacts.  While most are positive, the primary financial obstacle for agrivoltaic operations is the start-up requirements to install raised solar panels to accommodate enough height for the agricultural operations to occur under the panels.  For instance, if an agricultural operation intends to run heavy industrial machinery under the panels, then panel risers must extend high enough for clearance.  This added height above ground also requires deep structural anchoring below ground (Branscomb, 2023).  Once in operation, the shared community value becomes quickly evident with direct local benefit (Renewable Energy Magazine, 2021).  

These economic benefits are achieved both directly and indirectly at the local, state and national levels.  For the solar side of the agrivoltaics operation, renewable power generation can be utilized for local consumption or leveraged to negotiate for export.  Agrivoltaic projects can also increase jobs related to their construction and maintenance.  Additionally, intentionally created economic development planning can support businesses and services in the form of solar panel manufacturing, repair or recycling (CHERP, 2023).  This poses an opportunity to diversify Nye County’s industry beyond mining and tourism, to help weather the boom-and-bust cycles that are indicative of Nevada’s mining communities (Borden, et al, 2020;  Harris, et al., 2001). 

Such a long history of boom-and-bust cycles leaves many mining communities, like those in Northern Nye County, struggling to meet their social and civil infrastructure needs (Rebori, 2022;  Borden, et al, 2020).  Incorporating a requirement for thoughtful and strategic Community Development Agreements (CDA) to large scale utility projects, through the County permitting process, could create the social and civil infrastructure development that is needed.  The region’s medical, child care, and housing needs could be addressed.  Additionally, the civil infrastructure and response of communities – such as fire response capacity, utility expansion, and rural EV charging stations - could also be developed by applying specialized county CDAs to these utility scale projects (Branscromb, 2023).

On the agricultural side of the operation, land could be affordably leased to local producers.  As our cities expand and encroach on farm land, farmers and ranchers are selling their land to developers for high sums of money resulting in a loss of farm land, crop production and farmers.  Starting a new farming or ranch operation is cost prohibitive and unattainable for most individuals.  The price of land is a major obstacle to potential producers (Munch, 2022).  The shared land use strategies of agrivoltaics can address this issue by creating affordable land leases to locals.  Such an approach could help communities increase the number of agricultural producers which directly increases domestic food security.  Local farmers and ranchers could grow agricultural products such as sheep, bees, grasses and crops.  These products can be offered for local consumption - for food tourism where restaurants serve local lamb, artisans to create products from local wool, and business incubators to increase cottage food/food preservation businesses – all generating revenue for local communities (Kumpanalaisatit, M., et al., 2022).

Agrivoltaics provides an opportunity for a resurgence of local farming and ranching.  It provides an opportunity to preserve and retain the community heritage of agriculture in communities where the industry struggles, and in others a restoration of agriculture that has been completely lost.  But not all areas viable for industrial solar projects will be able to sustain traditional crops or livestock.  Such projects could potentially be utilized to grow native plant species and forbs for livestock grazing, and seeds to sell back to federal agencies and conservation groups (Stringham, 2023).  There are also potential wildlife protection and conservation applications, however, these efforts have been less researched. 

State and National Impacts 

What is known, is that both the state of Nevada and the United States of America are faced with two very serious defense issues that could be simultaneously addressed by agrivoltaics.  First, the state and nation lack the ability to domestically produce the food necessary to feed our own.  There is a dependency on other countries to feed us.  With more agricultural producers leaving the industry than entering it, our domestic food security will only worsen – there is a future crisis looming (The White House, 2022).  Second, the state and country lack the ability to domestically power our own industry and homes.  Our energy dependence makes us vulnerable (USDA, 2003; U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2023).  While agrivoltaics will not solve these large scale state and national problems, it could be an important part of a comprehensive solution.

What Lands Can Be Used – Private or Public?

Both private and public lands can be used for agrivoltaic operations.  They invite a dual prong approach to encourage preservation of current farms and ranches, while also creating new agricultural lands for operations.  First, preserving agricultural lands is critical, as many existing farmers and ranchers report financial stressors that indicate a struggle to remain in operation (Silva Laughlin, 2019).  Adding solar production to their fields can generate additional needed revenue, helping to preserve their operations (Giri & Mohanty, 2022).  Diversification can also increase resiliency in a tumultuous agricultural industry.  Second, restoring and expanding agriculture can be accomplished on both private and public lands.  Public lands, in Nye County and Nevada, are composed of many rangelands.  To the untrained eye, it may look like a sea of desert stretching as far as the eye can see.  But it is not a wasteland!  Soil scientists and ecologists know the richness of what lies beneath – Nevada rangelands have soils filled with microbial diversity that contribute to soil quality (Palmer, 2019).  These soils have immense potential, they just need water to transform them into productive systems (Finzel, 2016). 

Solar harvesting projects use water, which could potentially be recaptured for a secondary purpose, like irrigation.  Many Nevada rangelands will not be able to support the growth of water intensive plants, but there are many drought tolerant options (Stringham, 2022).  Before transitioning to cattle, Nevada’s historical ranching heritage was deeply rooted with the Basque sheepherders (Saitua, 2019).  Agrivoltaics could potentially restore the State’s sheepherding heritage, by bringing fields of native forbs and grasses for ranchers to seasonally graze their flocks or bands of sheep.  Beyond restoration, this strategy could increase the numbers of farmers and ranchers to feed our own.

Recommendations

State leadership, planning and guidance is needed on solar development across the state. Local jurisdictions urgently need industry specific technical information for permitting, such as water usage statistics, fire response needs, construction requirements, environmental impacts, and more. 

Jurisdictions should also consider requiring solar projects to engage in shared land use strategies, like agrivoltaics, to encourage innovation and local benefit.  Counties can choose to only permit projects that comply with identified values and goals.  By expecting more, projects and 

communities will experience greater engagement and shared benefit.  Additionally, higher standards will naturally result in fewer permit applicants, filtering out companies that are not in-line with expectations, goals, and values.

Local county and town jurisdictions would benefit from State guidance in creating comprehensive Community Development Agreements within their permitting processes to address local need for support services, infrastructure (social and civil), emergency response and environmental controls.  However, before CDA’s can be developed, local jurisdictions need to have a clear understanding of community needs, goals and capacities.  Partnerships with local Extension offices can help identify critical needs.  In tandem, technical specialists can identify industry specific needs, so that communities can develop CDA components in relation to their own capacity.

In considering agrivoltaics, it is recommended that planning focus on the development of shared land use practices to preserve, restore and expand agricultural operations across the state.  Existing farm land can be preserved by adding solar generation for additional operating revenue.  New agricultural operations can be expanded with public rangeland solar projects, through agrivoltaics, to increase and restore agriculture in the state.

In Conclusion

The federal government recognize areas of vulnerability and has set priorities that are backed by significant financial commitments to have net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through reduction of fossil fuel consumption and through shifting to increased renewable energy consumption (DOE, 2023).  This federal investment has resulted in pressure on local municipalities to address industrial scale solar projects in their jurisdictions.  As counties seek options that address fear and concerns surrounding these projects, one potential shared land use strategy may be of benefit to their communities:  agrivoltaics.  It is important for Nevada jurisdictions, like Nye County, in evaluating the feasibility of agrivoltaics in their communities, to have a general understanding of what agrivoltaics is, in relation to potential economic impacts at the local, state and national levels.

References

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