Land Use

Agrivoltaics in Maryland: new report highlights opportunities for an emerging practice to balance state energy and agriculture goals

Maryland has set an ambitious target to reach 100% clean energy by 2035, which will require a rapid increase in solar energy development. At the same time, the state has committed to preserving 40% of its land area by 2040, including more than a million acres of productive agricultural land. Achieving these targets presents potential competition for the same parcels of land, as well as tensions for land-use decision-making. Agrivoltaics – the co-siting of solar energy facilities and agricultural production on the same piece of land – is increasingly viewed as a way to resolve this friction by achieving some solar development without losing valuable farmland. 

A new study by the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center and the National Center for Smart Growth evaluated agrivoltaics as a viable strategy for advancing Maryland’s clean energy and agriculture goals — whether sufficient land is available, how existing regulations and incentives shape implementation, and the degree to which would-be adopters perceive this practice to be beneficial. The study included a statewide geospatial analysis, a review of relevant policies, and discussion sessions with key stakeholders, including state agencies, local governments, farmers, solar developers, and academic and nonprofit organizations.

The study found that Maryland does have sufficient agrivoltaic-compatible land available to meet the state’s current solar energy targets, although meeting these goals would require the implementation of agrivoltaics on land presently used for commodity crops and grazing, which make up the majority of agricultural land. To date, Maryland has not developed a clear and coordinated implementation approach to guide co-location decisions and balance tradeoffs between clean energy and agricultural objectives. 

The study further found a need for a state-level governance framework that clearly integrates energy and agriculture goals, with accompanying regulations to ensure that agrivoltaics projects are appropriately sited, monitored and enforced. Stakeholders widely agreed that agriculture should remain the primary land use on farmland and that solar projects should be built first on places like rooftops, parking lots and other already-developed areas.

The study’s complete findings can be viewed in the full report. Additionally, findings are summarized in a series of research briefs containing takeaways for key stakeholders:

• Members of the Maryland General Assembly

• Maryland state agency leadership

• Farmers and landowners, academic and technical partners, solar developers, land trusts, and county and local officials