Directs the department of agriculture and markets, in cooperation with NYSERDA and institutions of higher education, to develop and produce guidance and educational materials for farmers on the use of agrivoltaics in farming; requires the department of agriculture and markets to provide a booth at the state fair for the purpose of educating the general public on the use of agrivoltaics in farming.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9336--A
IN ASSEMBLY
February 23, 2022
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BARRETT, SIMON, JACOBSON -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Agriculture -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
AN ACT to direct the department of agriculture and markets, in cooper-
ation with the New York state energy research and development authori-
ty, to develop and produce guidance and educational materials on the
use of agrivoltaics in farming
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this act, the term "agri-
2 voltaics" shall mean the simultaneous use of areas of land for both
3 solar photovoltaic power generation and agriculture including the collo-
4 cation of solar photovoltaic panels and production of crops and/or
5 animal farming such as grazing on the same property.
6 § 2. Guidance and educational materials on agrivoltaics. (a) The
7 department of agriculture and markets, in cooperation with the New York
8 state energy research and development authority and institutions of
9 higher education with expertise in agrivoltaics, shall develop guidance
10 and educational materials for farmers regarding the use of agrivoltaics
11 in farming that shall, at a minimum, contain the following:
12 (i) information about available resources to assist farmers to maxi-
13 mize agricultural production including, but not limited to, growing
14 crops or grazing animals on land with collocated solar panels;
15 (ii) information on the use of high value shade-resistant crops;
16 (iii) information about potential marketing opportunities to consumers
17 interested in purchasing food and other agricultural products from farms
18 that produce renewable energy and may be positively impacting climate
19 change;
20 (iv) the potential for benefits such as reduced electricity costs,
21 diversified revenue streams, and water use reduction;
22 (v) the potential for extended crop growing seasons; and
23 (vi) information about pollinator-friendly standards and practices for
24 farmland with collocated solar photovoltaic panels.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14275-03-2
A. 9336--A 2
1 (b) No later than one hundred twenty days after the effective date of
2 this act, the guidance and educational materials developed pursuant to
3 paragraph (a) of this section shall be produced and distributed to coop-
4 erative extension offices located in the state and to New York state
5 soil and water conservation districts, and made available on the
6 websites of the department of agriculture and markets and the New York
7 state energy research and development authority.
8 § 3. State fair. The department of agriculture and markets shall
9 provide a booth at the New York state fair, established pursuant to
10 article 2-A of the agriculture and markets law, next occurring after the
11 effective date of this act, for the purpose of educating the general
12 public on the use of agrivoltaics in farming.
13 § 4. Agricultural exhibitions, conferences and meetings. The depart-
14 ment of agriculture and markets may make available information about
15 agrivoltaics to farmers attending agriculture related exhibitions,
16 conferences and meetings.
17 § 5. Powers. The department of agriculture and markets and the New
18 York state energy research and development authority may consult with
19 any state or local office, agency, or department, request information
20 from any such entity, or conduct any research that is relevant and mate-
21 rial to the development of the guidance and educational materials
22 directed to be developed pursuant to section two of this act.
23 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
