Support Agrivoltaics Legislation to Future-Proof American Farming

Please champion legislation that funds and expands agrivoltaics — the practice of combining elevated solar arrays with active crop production on the same land. A Massachusetts farm recently installed 832 elevated, sun-tracking solar panels above berry fields, and the results were striking: berries grown under the panels were larger, juicier, and sweeter than those grown in full sun, while the farm simultaneously generated clean electricity and a new income stream. This isn't just a feel-good story. The panels reduced soil temperatures, slowed evaporation, and kept crops hydrated through summer heat — exactly the kind of resilience our farmers need as droughts grow longer and summers hotter. One plot of land producing both food and energy is a practical answer to climate pressure on agriculture. Federal support for agrivoltaics research, grants for installation, and updated land-use rules that encourage dual-use farming would help scale this solution before more harvests are lost to extreme heat.