Bill Text: NY A09336 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Directs the department of agriculture and markets, in cooperation with NYSERDA and institutions of higher education, to develop and produce guidance and educational materials for farmers on the use of agrivoltaics in farming; requires the department of agriculture and markets to provide a booth at the state fair for the purpose of educating the general public on the use of agrivoltaics in farming.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-04-04 - substituted by s7861a [A09336 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A09336-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9336--A IN ASSEMBLY February 23, 2022 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BARRETT, SIMON, JACOBSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit- tee AN ACT to direct the department of agriculture and markets, in cooper- ation with the New York state energy research and development authori- ty, to develop and produce guidance and educational materials on the use of agrivoltaics in farming The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this act, the term "agri- 2 voltaics" shall mean the simultaneous use of areas of land for both 3 solar photovoltaic power generation and agriculture including the collo- 4 cation of solar photovoltaic panels and production of crops and/or 5 animal farming such as grazing on the same property. 6 § 2. Guidance and educational materials on agrivoltaics. (a) The 7 department of agriculture and markets, in cooperation with the New York 8 state energy research and development authority and institutions of 9 higher education with expertise in agrivoltaics, shall develop guidance 10 and educational materials for farmers regarding the use of agrivoltaics 11 in farming that shall, at a minimum, contain the following: 12 (i) information about available resources to assist farmers to maxi- 13 mize agricultural production including, but not limited to, growing 14 crops or grazing animals on land with collocated solar panels; 15 (ii) information on the use of high value shade-resistant crops; 16 (iii) information about potential marketing opportunities to consumers 17 interested in purchasing food and other agricultural products from farms 18 that produce renewable energy and may be positively impacting climate 19 change; 20 (iv) the potential for benefits such as reduced electricity costs, 21 diversified revenue streams, and water use reduction; 22 (v) the potential for extended crop growing seasons; and 23 (vi) information about pollinator-friendly standards and practices for 24 farmland with collocated solar photovoltaic panels. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14275-03-2A. 9336--A 2 1 (b) No later than one hundred twenty days after the effective date of 2 this act, the guidance and educational materials developed pursuant to 3 paragraph (a) of this section shall be produced and distributed to coop- 4 erative extension offices located in the state and to New York state 5 soil and water conservation districts, and made available on the 6 websites of the department of agriculture and markets and the New York 7 state energy research and development authority. 8 § 3. State fair. The department of agriculture and markets shall 9 provide a booth at the New York state fair, established pursuant to 10 article 2-A of the agriculture and markets law, next occurring after the 11 effective date of this act, for the purpose of educating the general 12 public on the use of agrivoltaics in farming. 13 § 4. Agricultural exhibitions, conferences and meetings. The depart- 14 ment of agriculture and markets may make available information about 15 agrivoltaics to farmers attending agriculture related exhibitions, 16 conferences and meetings. 17 § 5. Powers. The department of agriculture and markets and the New 18 York state energy research and development authority may consult with 19 any state or local office, agency, or department, request information 20 from any such entity, or conduct any research that is relevant and mate- 21 rial to the development of the guidance and educational materials 22 directed to be developed pursuant to section two of this act. 23 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.