The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released a new interactive map, detailing solar energy’s place — or lack thereof — on U.S. prime farmland.

The new map program comes at a crucial moment, as Farm Bill negotiations in the U.S. Congress have caused greater scrutiny than ever on agrivoltaics-related solar projects. According to SEIA, the map shows that solar takes up a “remarkably small” percentage of farmland throughout the U.S., coming in at about 0.07% of farmland in the country.

SEIA president and CEO Tim Pawlenty, who took over for interim president Darren Van’t Hof on June 15, says the new map will, above all, provide context. As misinformation continues to swirl around the perceived dangers or risks of agrivoltaics, the map showcases the ability for farming and renewable energy plants to coexist, he says.

“America depends on our land to grow our food, build our communities, and power our lives,” he says. “Responsible land use means balancing all of those needs. This map helps provide important context by showing that solar and agriculture can thrive together. Solar development uses a very small amount of farmland compared to many other common land uses, while also delivering affordable energy, local tax revenue, and reliable income for farmers and landowners.”

Detailing responsible land use

According to SEIA’s map, there are currently zero states where solar takes up more than 0.05% of prime farmland. In terms of total land, solar’s share of things is even paltrier than when looking at farmland, coming in at just 0.04% in total.

Additionally, nearly every state in the Union has far more abandoned prime farmland, than prime farmland that is currently in use. Around the country, there are 43 acres of abandoned farmland for every acre that gets used, SEIA says.

Comparing solar’s share of prime U.S. farmland to other non-essential puts the small land risk of agrivoltaics even further in perspective. New suburban developments since 2014 alone have used up roughly six times more prime farmland around the country than solar projects do. Golf courses around the U.S. take up 2.6 times the amount of prime farmland as solar arrays do.

“Communities, landowners, farmers, local officials, and solar and storage developers all share an interest in responsible land use,” the trade association says. “SEIA has developed extensive land use resources, research, and best practices to help communities make informed decisions about responsible solar and storage development.”

SEIA also notes than unlike suburban development, golf courses, and other permanent farmland use fixtures, solar arrays can be decommissioned and taken down at the end of their lifespan. In turn, “thousands” farmers and other private landowners have chosen dual-use solar as a second revenue stream, while also passively helping to power local communities.

Tags: agrivoltaics, farming, project, SEIA, sustainability