The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), America’s largest membership organization of state legislators dedicated to the principles of free markets and federalism, passed “The Resolution in Support of Farming and Energy Production” unanimously last week during the States & Nation Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Introduced by Colorado Republican Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine, the Resolution supports permitting community solar and agrivoltaic projects on farmland. The resolution will spur consumer choice and energy options that support family farms while also increasing domestic energy production like community solar.
“American farmers and ranchers deserve to have choices about how they produce energy on their farmlands,” said Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine. “Small-scale community solar and agrivoltaics can play an important part in our national energy future, providing opportunities for farmers and keeping farmland in production. We have seen firsthand in Colorado the positive impact these types of projects have in preserving our agricultural communities and I urge conservatives in other states around the nation to embrace it.”
The resolution provides an actionable path forward for counties looking to adopt community solar and agrivoltaics. The resolution finds that “solar facilities on unproductive or nonproductive farm ground can provide a passive income for farmers to weather adverse events or uncertainty” and “solar production and agrivoltaics can also help young farmers afford to buy land for farming production.”
“Conservative policymakers around the country are embracing community solar as an opportunity to prioritize economic development and increase consumer choice,” said Larry Ward, president and CEO of Conservatives for a Clean Energy Future (CCEF). “We are hopeful that this ALEC resolution will encourage more conservative lawmakers to explore how community solar can promote energy freedom and prosperity in their counties.”
Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have policies in place that permit third-party, competitive community solar development, while multiple states are advancing legislation to enable new programs, including Republican-sponsored bills in Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Research from CEN has found that 60% of Republicans and 65% of Independents support community solar, emphasizing the growing support from conservative voters for more competition in the energy market and more freedom in energy choices.
News item from the Coalition for Community Solar Access
