US EditionWhy California Farmers Don't Want to Lose Land to Solar Farms
IMPERIAL COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, JUL 16 – The Imperial Irrigation District opposes converting over 13,000 acres of fertile farmland into solar farms that mainly export electricity and provide minimal local benefits.
- Earlier this month, the Imperial Irrigation District board of directors approved a resolution opposing solar development on farmland, drawing a figurative line in the sand to halt conversion of agricultural land.
- With over 13,000 acres of Imperial Valley farmland converted for solar, California’s agricultural sector faces ongoing strain amid debates on land use and preservation.
- The legislature’s AB 1156, carried by Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, is supported by the solar power industry, environmentalists, labor unions, and many large farmers.
- The Imperial Irrigation District will urge agencies to prioritize agricultural preservation, remaining supportive of renewable projects on non-agricultural lands like desert areas, industrial zones, and fallow ground.
- Research shows agrivoltaics can shade crops and limit evaporation, improving solar efficiency, especially in sunny, dry places like Imperial Valley.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Why California farmers don't want to lose land to solar farms
A SunEdison solar facility in Valley Center. (File photo by Chris Jennewein/Times of San Diego) This column was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The Imperial Irrigation District, which provides water to farmers in the southeastern corner of California, drew a figurative line in the sand earlier this month, calling for a halt to the conversion of agricultural fields into solar panel farms. Noting that more than …
Hanford Sentinel
Why California’s agricultural industry is at odds over converting land to solar farms
Dan Walters Commentary: The solar farm displacement issue is only one of many factors that will determine the future of agriculture in California. The larger existential issue deserves more political attention than it’s getting.
Solar Power: California Farmers identify a hot new Cash Crop
By Jacob Stid, Michigan State University; Annick Anctil, Michigan State University, and Anthony Kendall, Michigan State University (The Conversation) – Imagine that you own a small, 20-acre farm in California’s Central Valley. You and your family have cultivated this land for decades, but drought, increasing costs and decreasing water availability are making each year more difficult. Now imagine that a solar-electricity developer approaches you …
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