What's happening
This bill requires the advisory council on agriculture to study and recommend best practices for co-locating farms and renewable energy projects.
Why it matters
Could influence land use decisions statewide. by providing actionable recommendations on how farms and renewable energy projects (like solar arrays or wind turbines) can exist together, potentially reducing conflicts over farmland being converted exclusively to energy production.
Aims to protect prime agricultural lands. by requiring that the impact of renewable energy projects on the loss of high-quality farmland be specifically studied and addressed, helping ensure New York's food production capacity isn't unduly compromised.
May set a precedent for balancing environmental and agricultural goals. , as it pushes for best practices that support both clean energy and the continued viability of farming, which could become a model for policy elsewhere.
Increases transparency and public input. since all findings and recommendations must be made publicly available, giving farmers, energy developers, and communities more information to participate in decision-making.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Farms Host Solar Projects
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Reported and committed to rules
- Referred to agriculture
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Allow Farms and Solar Together
In Assembly Committee · Agriculture · Sponsor William Magee
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8605
IN SENATE
May 10, 2018
Introduced by Sen. SERINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to co-location of farms and renewable energy projects
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 309 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new subdivision 10 to read as follows:
10. a. The advisory council on agriculture shall study and provide recommendations to the commissioner on best practices to allow for co-location in an effort to enhance compatibility between renewable energy development and the protection of natural and agricultural resources. Such recommendations on best practices shall focus on renewable energy projects and their impact on the loss of prime agricultural lands. Any findings and recommendations pursuant to this subdivision shall be made available to the public, and may be included in the council's report pursuant to subdivision seven of this section.
b. "Co-location," as used in this section shall mean viable farmland eligible for the deliberate production of farm products and renewable energy in a single location.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15757-01-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to co-location of farms and renewable energy projects
Purpose
To direct the Advisory Council on Agriculture to study and provide recommendations on best practices to allow for co-location of productive farmland and renewable energy.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Directs the Advisory Council on Agriculture to study and provide recommendations to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets on best practices to enhance compatibility between productive farmland and renewable energy development, while considering the impact on the loss of prime agricultural lands.
Section 2: Establishes the effective date.
Justification
New York State has some of the nation's most ambitious goals in terms of its commitment to renewable energy sources. As the state moves forward with its aggressive push for cleaner energy, it is important that we are creative in how we expand our renewable energy production so that we do never have to compromise our bountiful natural resources.
Some examples of co-location include utilizing pollinator-friendly plantings around solar arrays to support bees, which also pollinate nearby crops, as well as allowing animals such as sheep and goats to graze among solar panels. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst is also testing elevated solar panels to allow for growing crops under- neath, and solar power produced on farms can be used to reduce the farm's energy costs.
This legislation seeks to identify the best practices to allow for co-location, which can prove to be a valuable strategy to the state's, or any local municipality's, clean energy goals, without coming at the expense of productive agricultural land.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.