Innovative land management at solar farms is enabling dual benefits for clean energy production, local agriculture, and wildlife habitat. Recent studies highlight how native plantings, livestock grazing, and crop cultivation under panels can boost pollinator populations and farm profitability. These practices address concerns over land use while supporting U.S. renewable energy goals.
Large-scale solar farms have raised concerns about converting agricultural land and reducing wildlife value through practices like herbicide use or turfgrass planting. However, researchers from the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Argonne National Laboratory are demonstrating that native vegetation, including wildflowers and prairie grasses, can transform these sites. A 2024 NREL study, the longest-running assessment of solar impacts, found insect abundance tripled over five years at two Minnesota solar farms designed with native plantings to support pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds.
Pollinator declines are stark: more than half of U.S. native bee species have dropped sharply since 2005, with nearly 25 percent at risk of extinction, and North American monarch butterfly populations have fallen 68 percent in two decades. Native plants not only attract these species but also benefit nearby crops—over 3,500 square kilometers of pollinator-dependent fields like soybeans and almonds lie within foraging distance of existing and planned solar facilities. By 2050, the U.S. expects to convert six million acres to solar, making such practices vital. Native vegetation also cuts maintenance costs, prevents soil erosion, and requires no irrigation, unlike turfgrass.
Solar grazing has surged, with the 2024 U.S. Solar Grazing Census by NREL and the American Solar Grazing Association reporting 113,050 sheep on 129,000 acres across over 500 sites in 30 states, supporting 18,000–26,000 megawatts or 7–11 percent of installed capacity. Sheep maintain vegetation without herbicides or mowing, which can pollute and damage panels. Over 50 percent of graziers started for financial reasons, with one noting it was “the only way I was able to be profitable as a livestock producer and first-generation farmer with no access to land.” The practice attracts younger farmers and women, with over one-third female participants.
Agrivoltaics, growing crops under panels, reached a $6.3 billion global market in 2024, projected to grow 10 percent annually through 2034. A 2024 MIT study showed chili peppers, strawberries, and eggplant yielding up to 17 percent more under 35 percent shading, while corn and soybeans lost less than 3 percent in high-clearance systems. In Pennsylvania, mushrooms thrive under panels, and Cornell University research explores adjustable-tilt designs to reduce heat stress and irrigation. Farmer Elizabeth Ryan of Stone Ridge Orchard called agrivoltaics “the missing link... the next frontier.”
With U.S. utility-scale solar at 128.6 gigawatts in 2025, six states like Minnesota lead voluntary pollinator-friendly standards. Resources such as the American Solar Grazing Association and AgriSolar Clearinghouse promote these dual-use approaches, benefiting developers, farmers, and ecosystems.