Agrivoltaics in Texas: Integrating Solar Power with Agriculture

By Raina Tillman Hornaday July 2, 2025

Grapevines thrive under solar panels in the Rio Grande Valley. © Fortress Microgrid

As Texas leads the nation in solar deployment, its family farms face a looming generational cliff: only 2% of farms are passed down intact. Agrivoltaics offers a powerful solution, allowing farmers to maintain their land, diversify income, and build climate resilience.

Recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding, including $2.2 million for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)’s VANGUARD project, provides an opportunity for Texas to support rural producers through clean energy.

What Is Agrivoltaics?

According to the American Farmland Trust (AFT) agrivoltaics involves the strategic co-location of agricultural and solar energy infrastructure on the same land, maximizing land use while supporting farm viability and producing clean energy.

While sheep grazing is common, agrivoltaics shines brightest with high-value crops like leafy greens, berries, tomatoes, melons, and grapes. It also supports agroforestry, pollinator habitats, and it diversifies income streams.

A Booming Market with Texas at the Forefront

In 2023, the global agrivoltaics market, driven by crop production and power generation, was valued at $3.31 billion, projected to surpass $13.3 billion by 2033.¹ Agrivoltaics could represent 10% of global solar capacity by 2030.^{2^{In the U.S., over 500 solar sites generate nine gigawatts of renewable energy, powering farms and urban areas.}}

Texas is poised to lead the way with 135 million acres of private land and a projected 35,324 MW of solar capacity by 2028. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and USDA³ programs are drivers of this growth, allocating $820.25 million to support renewable energy in rural areas.

High-Value Crops: The Economic Engine of Agrivoltaics

By combining energy and agriculture, agrivoltaics can increase total land productivity by 35-70%.⁴ Shade-tolerant crops, such as lettuce, have shown significant yield increases,⁵ while microclimates beneath panels improve water retention and reduce stormwater runoff.

Economic returns are substantial: lettuce revenue can increase by 30%, and tomato revenue can rise by 36% in the Southeast.⁶ Cornell University models demonstrate that combining solar panels and crops on one acre of land can yield over four acres of high-value crops grown without panels, generating higher revenue.

Pollinators: Boosting Biodiversity and Farm Profits

Pollinator habitats beneath solar arrays support 75% of food crops and cut maintenance costs by 20%.⁷ Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and other insects, are necessary for the success of a large portion of food production from crops. and cut maintenance costs by 20%.⁸

Native vegetation cools soil, boosts PV efficiency, and improves biodiversity. These ecosystems serve as organic infrastructure, supporting resilience and long-term soil health.

Vineyards: A Texas Opportunity

Solar panels in Portugal have reduced irrigation by 30%, improved grape yields by up to 30%, and enhanced quality by 15%.⁹ Texas vineyards can adopt similar approaches, as demonstrated by the Dos Rios Winery project in Rio Grande City, Texas.

In partnership with UTRGV,¹⁰ Fortress Microgrid implemented an agrivoltaic system at the 15-acre Dos Rios Winery, shading grape varieties like Blanc Du Bois and Chardonnay. Solar panels provide power for wine production and tasting rooms, lowering electricity costs while improving grape quality and water efficiency by 20-30%.

UTRGV monitors crop yields, soil carbon, and emissions to develop best practices and support broader adoption.

Texas Innovating Through Implementation

CleanTX co-hosted an Earth Day event focused on agrivoltaics in Austin with Solar Austin, a local Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) chapter. The 2025 event brought together farmers, developers, researchers, and policymakers to explore Texas opportunities and innovations in agrivoltaics. More information is available at CleanTX.org.

UTRGV’s VANGUARD initiative addresses current troubling rates of agricultural land loss and food insecurity in the Rio Grande Valley. The project aims to address the loss of both land and food by promoting agrivoltaics to increase resilience, diversify farm income, and support sustainable food production.

In March 2025, the “We Are Women in Ag” event at Dos Rios included an agrivoltaic ribbon cutting and tour, Texas Cottage Law education, canning workshops, and business planning to build awareness and adoption. These efforts are a proactive pro-economic approach to addressing these challenges while building resilience and supporting long-term food security.

Regional Momentum: Oklahoma’s Legislative Push

Neighboring Oklahoma advanced agrivoltaics through the Oklahoma Agrivoltaics Act (HB 2157), which passed the House with a 73–20 vote. The bill aims to harmonize renewable energy development with agricultural productivity by establishing a 17-member Agrivoltaics Advisory Committee.

This committee will advise on policies promoting the coexistence of renewable energy and agriculture, develop educational materials, and recommend research areas. The act also creates the Oklahoma Agrivoltaics Cash Revolving Fund to finance these initiatives.¹¹

Challenges to Overcome

High upfront costs, local zoning challenges, and public resistance remain barriers to agrivoltaic adoption. Farmers express concern about land use and long-term productivity, while Texas-specific issues like mineral rights and REAP funding freezes complicate progress. Clearer regulations and targeted policy incentives similar to Oklahoma’s are essential for scaling.

Policy Path Forward

Policymakers can act by adopting American Farmland Trust’s Smart SolarSM siting principles, prioritizing marginal lands and bundling agrivoltaics into the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a U.S. government initiative administered by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Education through REAP, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, and InSPIRE tools will empower farmers. Pilots led by UTRGV could serve as replicable models throughout the state. The American Farmland Trust recently outlined additional policy recommendations supporting national and state strategies for scaling adoption.

A Sunlit Future for Texas

Agrivoltaics offers a powerful bridge between agriculture and energy, preserving family farms while powering rural economies. The success of Dos Rios Winery illustrates what’s possible. With collaboration, policy support, and continued innovation, Texas can lead the nation in this dual-use development strategy, where the sun powers homes, harvests, and heritage.

About the Author
Raina Tillman Hornaday, a fifth-generation landowner, has 20 years of renewable energy development experience including the Caprock Wind Project in Eastern New Mexico that is currently being decommissioned. She has developed utility-scale wind and solar projects in ERCOT and SPP markets. Dedicated to responsible renewable development, Raina advocates for solutions that support landowners, communities, and the land itself. She serves as Thought Leadership Chair for CleanTX, sits on the boards of the Texas Solar Energy Society and Powerhouse Texas, and earned an M.S. in Energy from Texas Tech University.

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