On Thursday, March 12, SACE hosted “Agrivoltaics 101,” a webinar introduction to the practice of combining agriculture and solar energy production on the same land in ways that support farmers, protect working lands, and create new income opportunities. The Southeast has ideal conditions and promising proof-of-concept projects — such as the Montgomery Sheep Farm in North Carolina or Florida Power & Light’s Blackwater River Solar Energy Center — but the regions leading at scale are doing so because they have aligned policy, incentives, and institutional commitment.
We were joined by Greg Plotkin, Senior Manager for Smart Solar Outreach and Engagement for the American Farmland Trust (AFT), and Mike Storch, Associate Director of Sustainability and Community Impact for Cypress Creek Renewables, who both provided practical information and real-world examples of what agrivoltaics can look like in practice. Dr. Stephen A. Smith, SACE’s Executive Director, discussed how solutions like agrivoltaics are critical to SACE’s focus and for the energy transition. The webinar was moderated by Tracy O’Neill, SACE’s Decarbonization Advocacy Coordinator.
Resources
- Watch the webinar recording
- Companion article #1: “Agrivoltaics: Growing Food, Growing Power, and Growing Possibility in the Southeast“
- Companion article #2: “Agrivoltaics: Rethinking Resilience From the Ground Up“
- Speaker Presentation Slides:
