AFT Issues Texas Smart Solar™ Survey Report
Sep 22, 2025
Michael Shulman
Michael Shulman
Michael Shulman
Michael Shulman
Maggie Thomas
American Farmland Trust (AFT) has released findings from its 2024 survey of 240 Virginia farmers and landowners, exploring their views on solar energy development.
American Farmland Trust, the national leader in agriculturally compatible solar, has released its Policy Recommendations to Increase Agrivoltaic Development.
Michael Shulman
American Farmland Trust and Sol Systems announced a new initiative aimed at integrating solar energy production with sustainable agriculture. This collaboration will focus on growing the Kernza® perennial grain, a grain developed from intermediate wheatgrass, a relative of annual wheat.
Michael Shulman
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For Saphan Pickett, agrivoltaics isn’t just about financial stability—it’s about creating a sustainable farming model that can support her community for generations.
Long known as a major energy producer, Texas now leads the nation with the most installed utility-scale solar capacity with no sign of slowing down. As these large solar farms increase around the state and the country, many solar developers are increasingly partnering with farmers who use their flocks of animals as a vegetation management tool.
Garrett Bader
Michael Shulman
AFT Staff
Samantha Levy
The first sight many visitors will notice when pulling into Czajkowski Farm is one that might seem unfamiliar—a field of broccoli being grown under the watchful eye of solar panels standing overhead. This technique of growing crops and generating energy on the same parcel is called agrivoltaics. While these projects may currently stick out in Massachusetts combining solar and agriculture, they are growing in popularity across the nation because of the opportunities they provide to keep land in agriculture and build resilience to climate change.
Extreme weather and accelerating warming trends make clear the urgency to shift away from fossil fuels and decarbonize our energy sector. Solar energy generation is expanding rapidly and will have a central role in this energy transition, requiring millions of acres of land for utility-scale solar as well as millions of rooftops across the country.
Ethan Winter
Samantha Levy
Prolonged drought, extreme temperatures, and wildfire smoke are some of the impacts of climate change experienced by farmers and ranchers, and new policies are looking at solar energy in Washington State as part of the solution.
Dani Madrone
Michael Shulman
Discover how agrivoltaics is transforming Texas agriculture by combining solar energy production with livestock grazing, hay production, and new opportunities for farmers and ranchers. Learn how innovative solar projects can improve land access, strengthen rural economies, and help preserve working lands across Texas.
Colorado is testing whether food and energy can truly grow together — from vineyard agrivoltaics at CSU to the first commercial fruit-orchard project at Talbott Farms. Four takeaways from 1,000 miles of conversations with farmers, co-ops, and county officials on what it will take to scale.
Upcoming webinars and training aimed to support farmers in exploring agrivoltaics in the Northeast.
Solar grazing is reshaping how energy and agriculture share the land — with benefits for farmers, soils, and solar developers alike.
Lia Raz
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Alan Bailey
This fall, farmers across California are invited to attend four free events designed to explore how agrivoltaics can support working lands and strengthen farm resilience.
Michael Shulman
Michael Shulman
Michael Shulman
As Texas faces rising energy demand and farmland loss, new legislation presents a pivotal opportunity to expand clean energy while protecting agricultural resources. By supporting rooftop solar, agrivoltaics, and smart utility-scale siting, Texas can lead in balancing renewable energy growth with farmland preservation.
Garrett Bader
Maggie Thomas
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Hear from AFT’s Smart Solar Program Coordinator on efforts to define agrivoltaics and encourage thoughtful policy and project design to benefit farmers, energy production, and land stewardship in California and Colorado.
