Grassley, Baldwin Work To Protect And Invest In Farmland Used For Renewable Energy Developments

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) are spearheading efforts to determine the impacts of using farmland for both agricultural and energy production. The bipartisan Protecting Future Farmland Act will ensure that federal investment in renewable energy infrastructure, particularly solar energy projects in rural areas, preserves land stewardship and protects farmland for future generations.

“We must be certain that embracing solar doesn’t damage our most valuable commodity: our rich Iowa soil,” Grassley said. “I’m proud to introduce this bill to help the Heartland continue to lead the way in pursuing ag innovation and renewable resource development in a responsible manner.”

“While many farmers are choosing to expand clean, renewable energy – supporting energy independence and increasing revenues of their operation – we need to support our farmers’ land stewardship efforts and help them protect the farmland that is critical to the future of our rural economies and national food security,” Baldwin said. “I am proud to partner with my Republican colleague to lead legislation that will give our farmers who want to expand solar operations the tools they need to continue responsibly managing our soil, water and nation’s heartland.”

Background

About 83 percent of new solar projects are installed on farmland and ranchland, with almost 50 percent placed on the most productive, versatile and resilient land. But despite the number of solar farms in rural America, there is currently no coordinated federal strategy for management of land located beneath solar arrays. Many farmers, land owners and those in rural communities are concerned about the quality of agricultural land after a solar lease ends, as well as the impact energy installations will have on soil and water. 

As American landowners engage in renewable energy production, more oversight is needed to ensure farmland is preserved. To address this, the Protecting Future Farmland Act would: 

• Prioritize federal assistance (through the existing Rural Energy for America Program) to renewable energy projects that have in place soil, water and vegetation management and conservation plans;

• Collect data on the conversion of farmland to solar energy and direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to deliver a report to Congress on the benefits and impacts of solar energy development on agricultural land;

• Authorize the National Resources Conservation Service to develop best practices for protecting soil health and productivity during the siting, construction, operation and decommissioning of solar energy systems on agricultural land;

• Authorize the National Resources Conservation Service to provide technical assistance to farmers growing crops or managing grazing below or in tandem with solar energy systems;

• Defines “agrivoltaic system” as “a system under which solar energy production and agricultural production, including crop or animal production, occurs in an integrated manner on the same piece of land through the duration of a solar project”; and

• Authorizes USDA to conduct a study on agrivoltaic systems’ compatibility, as well as a risk-benefit analysis.