Lightstar Renewables announced that it supports the mission of the American Farmland Trust (AFT) to protect farmland, promote healthy farming practices and keep farmers on land.backward previously announced a partnership called Farmers Empowering Communities We work with community solar developers Edelen Renewables and Arcadia.
Through this partnership with Lightstar, AFT will use smart solar principles to provide Lightstar with its expertise and guidance on policy innovation, research and farmer engagement to advance the development of agriculture-compatible solar energy. Accelerate, enhance farm viability, and protect land suitable for farming and ranching. Lightstar aims to enable farmers in states such as New York, Maryland and Illinois to transition to more renewable farming practices and adopt agricultural solar power (integrated farming and solar power) .
There are multiple threats to farmlands across the country. Between 2001 and 2016, residential and commercial development consumed 11 million acres of his farmland. An additional 18 million acres could be lost by 2040 in a normal scenario. Climate change and extreme weather events are making farming and ranching more difficult. AFT research shows that a significant portion of rain-fed farmland will be less likely to support current growth systems by 2040. Millions of acres of farmland will be ceded as today’s senior farmers retire, changing ownership and becoming vulnerable to development.
Agrivoltaics provides the means to deal with these threats. A transition to renewable energy is necessary to address climate change. Agrivoltaics enable the coexistence of agriculture and energy production, keeping farmland agricultural. The agrivolta model reduces water use and improves soil health while facilitating economic growth within local communities through farm viability, savings on energy bills, job creation, and tomorrow’s clean energy economy. to promote AFT’s smart solar principles aim to accelerate the generation of solar energy while minimizing the impact on productive agricultural land and enhancing opportunities for farmers while maximizing climate mitigation. We provide a blueprint for solar power development.
Lucy Brock Saiger, vice president of strategy at Lightstar, said: “Solar power doesn’t have to exacerbate farmland loss. Our partnership with the American Farmland Trust demonstrates our commitment to stewardship of the land and, most importantly, to sustaining farmer farming.”
Lightstar’s dual-use solar projects enable energy production in addition to growing crops and grazing livestock in and around solar arrays. Farm owners who host these projects earn a long-term, regular source of income, and farmers who manage farm operations receive scholarships to keep their land productive. These projects also provide tax revenue for local governments, help local residents reduce energy bills, and improve energy independence and grid security. AFT provides agricultural landowners with the tools and skills to make informed decisions about solar development.
Notice from Light Star