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Board orders county counsel to craft agrivoltaics framework, emphasizes farm protections and labor standards
Summary
The Board unanimously referred development of a regulatory framework for agrivoltaics (elevated solar arrays that allow continued farming beneath) to County Counsel with conditions to prioritize active agriculture, require federal/state/local labor standards compliance, and include wildlife protections and visual‑impact measures.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on June 22 voted unanimously to ask County Counsel, in coordination with the administration, to develop a regulatory framework for agrivoltaics on appropriate county farmland.
President Lee opened discussion by framing the proposal as an effort to support both local agriculture and the county’s clean‑energy goals. She described agrivoltaics as an approach that could allow solar arrays to be elevated so tractors and crops can remain productive beneath panels and cited potential benefits for soil moisture retention, reduced evaporation and farm‑worker shading.
A video and public testimony presented multiple viewpoints. Supporters — including farmers, climate and agricultural advocates, construction trades and developer representatives — said agrivoltaics could boost yields, reduce water use and create green jobs. “Agrivoltaics is exciting. It allows us to support farming and clean energy at the same time,” said one public speaker who identified herself as a county resident engaged with agrivoltaics pilots. Labor representatives asked for enforceable labor standards and local apprenticeship opportunities to be built into any framework.
Opponents and some environmental commenters urged caution, warning that opening farmland to large‑scale solar could lead to land‑use conversion and require substantial transmission and substation upgrades. They pressed for rigorous evaluation of agricultural viability, infrastructure needs and wildlife impacts.
After deliberation, the board adopted a motion that referred development of potential regulations to County Counsel to report back with options. The board’s motion included three specific directives for the framework: require compliance with all applicable federal, state and local labor standards; incorporate appropriate visual‑deterrent measures and other best practices to reduce bird collisions and protect wildlife; and ensure agrivoltaics proposals “maintain and prioritize active agricultural use as a permanent component” and do not convert farmland into standalone solar facilities. The board also asked for coordination with the county’s Rural Zoning Ordinance update and recommended vetting through a study session and the Agricultural Advisory Committee.
What comes next: County Counsel and the administration will produce options and timelines for the board, with suggested public‑engagement and advisory‑committee steps and cost‑recovery considerations. The board suggested a possible study session at the Hewlett Committee and further advisory review before any ordinance changes.
The article draws directly from board remarks, the public‑comment record and the motion that passed on June 22.
