Bill to allow pivot‑corner agrivoltaics framed as a way to balance renewable siting and farmland protection
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Summary
House Bill 2388 would designate pivot‑corner solar and agrivoltaic facilities as distributed energy priorities and permit certain solar uses on agricultural land as accessory uses when compatible with ongoing agricultural production; supporters said it unlocks gigawatts of potential and farmer revenue, while land‑use groups called for precise definitions.
Representative Zach Hall, sponsor of House Bill 2388, said the measure builds on a multi‑partner agrivoltaic feasibility study and would add ‘‘pivot corners’’ — non‑cultivated areas at the edge of center‑pivot irrigated fields — as distributed energy priorities, enabling agrivoltaic and pivot‑corner solar while requiring that the land continue to be used for agricultural production.
The Nature Conservancy and other clean‑energy advocates testified in favor, citing research that identified roughly 43,000 feasible pivot‑corner acres within a mile of substations and potential generation of 4.4–8.7 gigawatts. Proponents framed the bill as a way to allow renewable development without converting productive farmland or high‑priority conservation areas.
FutureWise and other land‑use organizations supported the concept but urged clearer statutory definitions and protections so that agrivoltaic classification does not unintentionally reclassify or remove agricultural protections. Witnesses asked for work on definitions of accessory use, how "continued agricultural production" would be measured, and safeguards for soils and production values.
Committee members heard a mix of practical support and drafting concerns and closed the public hearing with an acknowledgment that stakeholders will likely refine definitions in subsequent drafting.