This bill amends existing legislation to allow dual-use or agrivoltaics solar facilities to participate in New Jersey's community solar program. The new legal language defines dual-use solar facilities as those that generate electricity from solar panels located on unpreserved farmland while simultaneously allowing for agricultural or horticultural production beneath and adjacent to the panels. The bill also states that these dual-use facilities will be eligible for participation in the community solar energy program and will be admitted into the community solar market segment of the small solar facilities incentive program upon registration.

Currently, the Board of Public Utilities restricts qualified solar energy projects to specific locations, such as rooftops, contaminated sites, and landfills. By permitting dual-use facilities to benefit from the community solar program, the bill aims to encourage the development of solar energy projects that are compatible with agricultural practices. This change is significant as it expands the opportunities for dual-use facilities to receive incentives beyond those provided by the Successor Solar Initiative program, thereby promoting both renewable energy generation and agricultural productivity.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 48:3-87.11