Balancing Energy and Agriculture in Texas

By Garrett Bader

The 2025 legislative session saw several controversial energy bills that, if passed, many in the industry believed would negatively impact the growth of renewables in Texas and limit the state’s ability to meet rising energy demand. Although most attention went to high-profile bills that were ultimately unsuccessful, several bills did pass that will benefit homeowners by strengthening consumer protections and streamlining the permitting process for solar and energy storage.

Having worked in the residential solar industry, I saw firsthand how burdensome permitting, deceptive sales practices, and limited consumer protections can slow solar adoption. That experience led me to create a solar guide specifically for farmers and ranchers considering on-farm solar. Similar to SB 1697—Consumer Protection Bill— and its Rooftop Solar Consumer Protection Guide, my goal was to fill an information gap and help agricultural producers make informed decisions about whether solar was right for their operation. 

These bills present an important opportunity to support consumers and small-scale solar development that aligns with the first principle of American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) Smart Solar^SM Initiative: Prioritize solar siting on buildings and land not well-suited or farming (unless agrivoltaics). By siting solar on the built environment, we can relieve some pressure on our agricultural lands.

However, our demand for energy in Texas and across the country is, and will continue to be, much more than what rooftops can supply. While small-scale, distributed solar plays a valuable role, we will also need large, utility-scale solar projects.  These have been critical to meeting our growing energy demand, supporting grid reliability, and keeping energy costs down.

Why Texas Needs Utility-Scale Solar

Texas is growing rapidly, increasing demand for a host of resources. Driven by the electrification of industry, population growth, A.I. data centers, cryptocurrency operations, and extreme weather, experts are projecting our demand for power to possibly double by 2030. That’s why Pablo Vegas, the CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), has emphasized the need for all energy resources available.