Cover Cropping with Solar Panels

Solar electricity generation capacity in the US has expanded rapidly over the last 15 years, with current capacity 285 times greater than it was in 2008. In many parts of the world, including Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region, agricultural land is highly attractive to solar developers because land prices are relatively low and it offers large, contiguous tracts that are moderately sloped and clear of forest. Unfortunately, we know very little of how these conversions impact local ecosystems or what they will mean for the future of agricultural land use and livelihoods after solar leases expire. We present findings here from the first year of a two-year project examining the impacts of solar conversion on soil health at three former agricultural sites in Franklin County, PA that were recently converted to utility scale solar facilities. In addition to the data, we will also consider what novel possibilities solar development and the potential to co-locate agriculture with solar might offer for a sustainable future in Pennsylvania.

Presented by Dr. Russ Hedberg and graduate student Sarah Thompson

Wednesday April 26 @ 12:00 in Grove Forum or on Zoom (ID: 959 2970 1594)

FREE and open to the public. For more information email CLUS@ship.edu