Agricultural Opportunities

Ag Energy NY – Ag Energy NY works with New York State extension educators, farm service providers, and farmers to improve energy efficiency. This program develops educational content and conducts outreach. Their aim is to support farmers with:

• Better understanding farm energy use
• Evaluating efficient technologies, alternate modes of operation, and practices that optimize energy use
• Making sound investment decisions based on accessible, up-to-date information
• Incorporating efficiency into the decision-making process

American Farmland Trust: Farmers Powering Communities - Aims to protect America’s most productive farmland and ranchland while expanding equitable access to renewable energy. AFT’s Smart Solar principles will guide the location of projects to prioritize solar on buildings and land not well suited for farming like the built environment and disturbed, contaminated, and marginal lands to minimize conversion of our nation’s most productive, versatile, and resilient farmland. Expert staff will help you integrate solar on your property.

Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Agrivoltaics Resource Page – Agrivoltaics is the practice of using the same land for both agriculture and solar energy production. It's also known as dual-use solar or co-location. Agrivoltaics is a growing area of interest globally, as countries integrate solar energy production into their agricultural landscapes. Cornell researchers are producing research in agrivoltaics in the fields of: crops & vegetation; economics; ecosystem systems; land use; livestock; microclimate & solar engineering; and social science.

Farm Credit East Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) Technical Assistance Grant – REAP provides grant awards that cover up to 25% of eligible project costs for renewable energy efficiency improvements for agricultural producers. Farm Credit East was awarded funding to support customers in pursuit of these business improvements, including direct grant writing assistance. Contact your local Farm Credit East (Riverhead for Long Island) to access these services.

PSEG Renewable Energy Remote Net Metering - Allows farm and non-residential customers with wind, solar or farm waste electric generating equipment at one location to utilize their excess generation to reduce their electric bills on accounts at other locations. If solar is installed after 2018, Value of Distribution Energy Resources allows all solar credits remain on an account for twenty years. Any account that was solar before that date, gets reconciled on a yearly basis with a buy back of .02-.05 cents per kWh.

SEIA Guide to Solar Land Leases – Solar developers routinely contact farmers and other landowners to obtain sufficient land to develop a financeable project. Leases can provide extra income to farmers by turning unused or underused land into revenue generation opportunities. Before committing, farmers should always understand the fundamental terms of the proposed agreement, how the lease will affect their property, and the right questions to ask developers.

USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) On-Farm Energy Initiative - Helps farmers make voluntary improvements that can boost energy efficiency on the farm. Benefits include reduced input costs, increased productivity per unit of energy consumed by equipment and lighting, and reduced air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions associated with agricultural use.

By developing an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP), financial assistance is available to improve efficiency with a completed energy audit by NRCS-certified Technical Service Providers (TSPs). TSPs provide itemized energy use from individual systems to establish a baseline for electricity and other fuel improvements, recommendations for equipment improvements and upgrades, potential energy reductions and financial savings for each recommendation, cost estimates of potential improvements, and length of expected payback for energy efficiency upgrades. Once an AgEMP or other qualifying energy audit has been completed, eligible producers can apply for EQIP assistance for the purchase, installation, or retrofit of certain buildings or equipment to improve energy efficiency.

USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) - Provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and/or to make energy efficiency improvements. Grants are available for up to 25 percent of total eligible project costs.

Funds may be used for these purchase and installation of renewable energy systems:

• Biomass (examples: biodiesel and ethanol, anaerobic digesters, and solid fuels)
• Geothermal for electric generation or direct use, wind generation, and solar generation.
• The purchase, installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements, such as: high efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC), insulation, lighting, cooling or refrigeration units, doors and windows, electric, solar or gravity pumps for sprinkler pivots, and switching from a diesel to electric irrigation motor.

Contact New York’s USDA Energy Coordinator, Gary Pereira, at gary.pereira@usda.gov or 315-570-2233 for more information.

Last updated January 8, 2025