FARMING SUN

Could Solar Energy Be California's Next Cash Crop? Strapped by drought, farmers are increasingly sowing solar panels rather than seeds.

Christina Nunez, October 30, 2015 (National Geographic)

“…[Many farmers in California’s Central Valley and elsewhere] are turning land over to solar developers, planting photovoltaic panels instead of crops…California's punishing drought is sparking fierce debates over water allotments for agriculture, and more than 500,000 acres will lie fallow this year. At the same time, the state is fighting climate change more aggressively than ever with a new law requiring half of all electricity to come from renewable sources like solar and wind by 2030…All of that clean energy needs real estate, and farmers have land available…[A] lmost a third of California's big solar facilities—those capable of generating one megawatt or more—stand on croplands or pastures…[A] solar deal isn't necessarily a permanent switch. Instead, it can be 25- or 30-year lease that allows the farmer to reclaim the land for crops at the end of the term…” click here for more

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