Understanding Solar Energy Access Among Underserved Farming Communities in Virginia

Project Objective:

To examine how demographic factors such as race, age, education, income, and land ownership impact the accessibility, adoption, and economic benefits of solar energy technologies among underserved farming communities in Virginia.

Description:

This project explores the intersection of solar energy expansion and agriculture in Virginia, focusing on the barriers faced by historically underserved farming communities in accessing photovoltaic (PV) technologies. With Virginia’s solar capacity rapidly increasing, it is crucial to understand how this growth impacts agricultural land use and biodiversity, as well as the economic outcomes for farmers.

Led by VWL Environmental Justice Fellow Graham Diedrich, this research addresses the need for equitable access to solar energy, particularly in rural areas where solar facilities are often sited on highly-productive cropland. The project investigates how factors like race, age, education, income, and land ownership influence the adoption of solar technologies, utilization of state and federal subsidies, and economic benefits of solar leases or off-grid systems.

The research aims to uncover the attitudes, beliefs, and concerns of underserved farming communities regarding the integration of PV systems into agriculture. By doing so, it will inform sustainable and inclusive renewable energy strategies that enhance energy security and economic resilience in these communities.

In addition to these human dimensions, this research examines the environmental consequences of utility-scale solar energy projects, focusing on impacts to biodiverse landscapes. Specifically, land-use and sitting patterns are compared to biodiversity indexes, allowing us to investigate correlations between solar development and environmental effects.

This research is supported by Smithsonian’s Life on a Sustainable Planet Initiative and involves collaboration with local partners. The findings will contribute to the development of targeted approaches for promoting solar technologies, such as agrivoltaics, in underserved farming communities, ensuring that all farmers can benefit from the opportunities presented by Virginia’s growing solar industry.

Source of Funding:

Collaborators:

  • George Mason University
  • Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
  • Piedmont Environmental Council
  • American Farmland Trust
  • Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley
  • Southern Environmental Law Center
  • Appalachian Voices
  • Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach Program
  • Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition
  • Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
  • Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
  • Virginia Department of Energy
  • Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
  • Virginia Association of Counties

Project Contact:

  • Graham Diedrich, Environmental Justice Fellow (DiedrichG@si.edu)
  • Amy Johnson, Program Director, Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes (JohnsonAE@si.edu)
  • Nathan W. Cooper, Research Ecologist, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (coopern@si.edu)
Photo by Brooke McDonough