Assembly Bill A2299A

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Establishes the agrivoltaics viability pilot program within the farmland viability program

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

2023-A2299 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S1058
Current Committee:
Assembly Energy
Law Section:
Agriculture and Markets Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§327, 328, 329 & 330, Ag & Mkts L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:
A10627, S8088

2023-A2299 - Summary

Establishes the agrivoltaics viability pilot program within the farmland viability program to provide grants to identify the best practices and strategies for dual-use solar energy projects that protect soil health during construction and decommissioning of solar arrays, utilize sustainable agricultural production practices, monitor any benefits solar energy may have on farms and to the state, track economic viability, study the commercialization of dual-use solar energy projects, and encourage equitable engagement of stakeholders.

2023-A2299 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2299
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 25, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Energy
 
 AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets  law,  in  relation  to  the
   construction,  installation  and  operation  of  dual-use solar energy
   projects on certain land which receives an agricultural assessment

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  agriculture and markets law is amended by adding two
 new sections 305-d and 305-e to read as follows:
   § 305-D. DUAL-USE SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS PILOT PROGRAM.  1. THE DEPART-
 MENT SHALL ESTABLISH A  DUAL-USE  SOLAR  ENERGY  PROJECT  PILOT  PROGRAM
 PROMOTING  THE INSTALLATION OF DUAL-USE ENERGY PROJECTS ON CERTAIN AGRI-
 CULTURAL LAND. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL OVERSEE THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF  THE
 PILOT PROGRAM.
   2. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   A.  "DUAL-USE  SOLAR  ENERGY  PROJECT" MEANS A SOLAR INSTALLATION THAT
 INTEGRATES SOLAR ARRAYS AND FARMING ACTIVITY ON THE SAME GROUND.  TO  BE
 CONSIDERED DUAL-USE, A SOLAR INSTALLATION CANNOT DISPLACE FARMING ACTIV-
 ITY;  FARMING  ACTIVITY  MUST  BE  MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE
 SOLAR FACILITY IN A MANNER THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH  COMMERCIAL  AGRICUL-
 TURAL  PRODUCTION AS APPROPRIATE TO THE CAPACITY OF THE LAND WHEN FARMED
 SUSTAINABLY. DUAL-USE IS DIFFERENT THAN SIMPLE CO-LOCATION WHICH  GENER-
 ALLY  INVOLVES  TRADITIONAL GROUND-MOUNTED SOLAR INSTALLATIONS THAT HOST
 NON-AGRICULTURAL PLANTINGS WITH ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.   THE
 TERM  "DUAL-USE"  REFERS  TO  A  SOLAR INSTALLATION THAT: (I) RETAINS OR
 ENHANCES THE LAND'S AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, BOTH SHORT TERM AND  LONG
 TERM;  (II) IS BUILT, MAINTAINED, AND HAS PROVISIONS FOR DECOMMISSIONING
 TO PROTECT THE LAND'S AGRICULTURAL  RESOURCES  AND  UTILITY;  AND  (III)
 SUPPORTS THE VIABILITY OF A FARMING OPERATION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04208-01-3
 A. 2299                             2
 
              

2023-A2299A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S1058
Current Committee:
Assembly Energy
Law Section:
Agriculture and Markets Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§327, 328, 329 & 330, Ag & Mkts L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:
A10627, S8088

2023-A2299A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the agrivoltaics viability pilot program within the farmland viability program to provide grants to identify the best practices and strategies for dual-use solar energy projects that protect soil health during construction and decommissioning of solar arrays, utilize sustainable agricultural production practices, monitor any benefits solar energy may have on farms and to the state, track economic viability, study the commercialization of dual-use solar energy projects, and encourage equitable engagement of stakeholders.

2023-A2299A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2299--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 25, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Energy -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted
   as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation  to  estab-
   lishing the agrivoltaics viability pilot program

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The opening paragraph of section 327 of the agriculture and
 markets law is designated subdivision 1 and a new subdivision 2 is added
 to read as follows:
   2. THE LEGISLATURE FURTHER  FINDS  THAT  AS  NEW  YORK  PROGRESSES  TO
 UTILIZING  CLEAN  ENERGY THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
 PLAY  A  SUBSTANTIAL  ROLE  IN  ENVIRONMENTAL  CONSERVATION  WHILE  ALSO
 PROTECTING AND MAINTAINING VIABLE FARMLAND THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF AGRI-
 VOLTAICS.    DUAL-USE  SOLAR  ENERGY PROJECTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO KEEP
 FARMLAND AS WORKING AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES PROVIDING ECONOMIC  BENEFITS
 TO  FARMERS AND ASSISTING THE STATE IN REACHING ITS CLIMATE AND ENVIRON-
 MENTAL IMPACT GOALS. THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY DECLARES  THAT  TO  PROGRESS
 THE  INITIATIVES OF THE FARMLAND VIABILITY PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
 CREATE AN AGRIVOLTAICS VIABILITY PILOT PROGRAM AS PART OF  THE  FARMLAND
 VIABILITY PROGRAM.
   §  2.  Section  328  of  the agriculture and markets law is amended by
 adding two new subdivisions 5 and 6 to read as follows:
   5. "AGRIVOLTAICS" SHALL MEAN THE SIMULTANEOUS USE OF AREAS OF LAND FOR
 BOTH SOLAR POWER GENERATION AND AGRICULTURE. FOR THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 ARTICLE,  AGRIVOLTAICS  SHALL BE NARROWED TO THE PRACTICES OF A DUAL-USE
 SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT.
   6. "DUAL-USE SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT" MEANS  A  SOLAR  INSTALLATION  THAT
 INTEGRATES  SOLAR  ARRAYS AND FARMING ACTIVITY ON THE SAME GROUND. TO BE
 CONSIDERED DUAL-USE, A SOLAR INSTALLATION CANNOT DISPLACE FARMING ACTIV-
 ITY; FARMING ACTIVITY MUST BE MAINTAINED  THROUGHOUT  THE  LIFE  OF  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04208-05-3
              

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