As Federal Support for On-Farm Solar Declines, Is Community Agrivoltaics the Future?
Chickens forage between the solar arrays at Jack’s Solar Garden. (Photo courtesy of Jack’s Solar Garden)
While the Trump administration disincentivizes solar developments on farms, agrivoltaics continue anyway, with local and state support.
By By Rebekah Alvey
September 16, 2025
The article from Civil Eats discusses the growing importance of agrivoltaics as federal support for on-farm solar projects declines. It highlights Lightstar Renewables' Plains Road Agrivoltaics project in Montgomery, New York, as a key example of how community solar can integrate with agriculture to benefit both farmers and local communities.
Lucy Bullock-Sieger, Chief Strategy Officer at Lightstar, emphasized the significance of agrivoltaics in addressing concerns over the use of prime farmland for solar development. She stated, "Agrivoltaics is going to be even more important because the conversation over prime farmland is not going away. We have this opportunity to make sure that people understand that agrivoltaics is a viable, commercial, and scalable option for farmers."
The Plains Road project, tailored to fit the operations of DiMartino Farm, allows hay planting and harvesting to continue under and around the solar panels. It is expected to generate enough energy to power 466 homes annually, showcasing how agrivoltaics can balance renewable energy production with agricultural preservation.
FULL ARTICLE: https://civileats.com/2025/09/16/as-federal-support-for-on-farm-solar-declines-is-community-agrivoltaics-the-future/