Protecting Prime Agricultural Land from Solar Panel Development
 
 
In the near future, I will be re-introducing legislation (SB 798 Last Session) to prohibit large scale solar developments on prime Pennsylvania farmland.

An abundance of agricultural land is crucial to maintaining food security and protecting against supply chain instability for the commonwealth and our nation as a whole.

According to the PA Department of Agriculture, the crucial agricultural industry provides $132.5 billion to our state economy annually and supports 593,000 jobs paying wages of 32.8 billion, which represents close to 16% of Pennsylvania’s gross state product.
 
Pennsylvania is the home of 49,053 farm families who are the stewards of over 7.3 million acres of farmland. With over 7.8 billion in cash receipts annually from production alone, Pennsylvania farms and agribusinesses are a leading economic driver in our state.

Pennsylvania’s agricultural land provides scenic images of rural life landscaped across fertile valleys of surrounding hills and mountains. These open spaces are a beautiful backdrop and draw thousands to our state to spend money in Pennsylvania’s growing agritourism business.

In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of solar companies seeking to lease agricultural land for the purpose of constructing large solar facilities. Once the panels are installed, the landscape of the land is drastically altered and unlikely to be able to be used again for adequate farming after the lease ends. Nearby property values can also be affected by large scale developments as some large solar farms create eyesores for the neighboring community.

Guidelines published by the PA Department of Agriculture in December 2022 called for new solar projects to be kept off the most productive soils and instead placed on roofs, parking lots, and brownfields.

My legislation will prohibit the leasing of prime agricultural land for the purposes of large solar panel development.    
The definition of Prime Agricultural land will include:

• Preserved farmland, farmland in “Agricultural Security Areas”, and farmland enrolled in the “Clean and Green” program.
• Land in Soil Capability Classes of I, II, III, and IV

 
A strict waiver process will be established for exceptions to the prohibition for certain solar development on prime farmland pending public community hearings and approval from local government officials. 

Nothing in this legislation will preclude a farmer from installing solar panels for farm operations and personal use.    

My bill will additionally create state tax incentives for solar companies who choose to develop on several alternative sites to include:

• “brownfields”
• abandoned strip mine land
• old industrial sites
• capped landfills
• warehouse rooftops

 
 
 
I believe that we can balance the expansion of solar energy and protect our precious prime farmland at the same time so that we can continue to both to feed the people of our great nation and provide an environmentally safe form of energy for both the farmer and the citizens of the commonwealth.
 
Co-sponsors of this legislation last session were Senators BARTOLOTTA, DUSH,GEBHARD AND J. WARD

I hope you will join me as a co-sponsor of this important legislation.
 
If you have any questions concerning this legislation, please contact Donald Beishl in my office at dbeishl@pasen.gov