N.Y. Agriculture & Markets Law § 151-j: Agrivoltaics research program

* § 151-j. Agrivoltaics research program. 1. There is hereby

established the agrivoltaics research program. The purpose of the

program is to develop innovative science-based solutions to facilitate

the co-location of crops and photovoltaics while promoting the

biodiversity of endemic flora and fauna. In developing the program, the

New York state college of agriculture and life sciences, as named

pursuant to section fifty-seven hundred twelve of the education law,

shall conduct, support, and develop technologies and management

strategies, along with verifications systems to facilitate the

sustainable and resilient co-location of crops and photovoltaics.

2. Subject to available appropriations, the program shall consider,

but not be limited to, the following: crop varietals and/or livestock

suitable for agrivoltaics; siting design considerations and array

installation techniques compatible with agricultural co-location and/or

biodiversity conservation; and integration of digital and robotic

technologies. The program shall also concomitantly consider

socio-economics in the formation of research trials and published

recommendations. The program shall conduct and demonstrate successful

cropping and/or livestock systems and technologies in pilot locations

throughout the state of New York and is hereby authorized to conduct

such research on the state's agricultural experiment stations, and other

locations deemed suitable for private and public sector partnerships to

evaluate, determine, and recommend strategies to enable agrivoltaics.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension system shall be utilized for knowledge

transfer, and annual reports shall be made and publicly disseminated.

3. The program shall include, but not be limited to, research on the

following topics, consistent with New York state's climate goals:

(a) methods to maximize the economic efficiency and scientific

efficacy of the co-location of agricultural crops and photovoltaics;

(b) improvements or enhancements in biodiversity when combined with

low-lying or elevated photovoltaic installments;

(c) development, testing and deployment of technologies, including

digital agriculture systems, small-scale robotics for planting,

harvesting, and crop management;

(d) research that facilitates productive agrivoltaics across several

different varieties of crops including research that enables

understanding of agrivoltaics effects on soil health, soil carbon

sequestration, erosion, water management, and specialty crop canopy

management for enhanced climate resiliency; and

(e) research that quantifies total kilowatts produced, rates of crop

production, and greenhouse gas emissions avoided in lieu of fossil fuel

generation.

4. Such program shall be funded by appropriations made available in

chapter fifty-three of the laws of two thousand twenty-three to the New

York state college of agriculture and life sciences at Cornell

university for the purpose of studying the ecological impacts of

agrivoltaics, and any future appropriation made thereafter for the same

purpose.

* NB Repealed December 31, 2030