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From hazelnuts to hay, wine to watermelons, and pears to potatoes, Oregon farmers have rightfully earned a reputation for producing some of the highest-quality crops enjoyed around the world. Yet according to the latest USDA Census of Agriculture, our state has seen nearly 2.4 million acres of farmland taken out of production between 1997 and 2022.

It is an alarming trend with no singular cause. As a reporter covering agriculture in the Pacific Northwest for over 10 years, I’ve sat at the kitchen table across from farmers and ranchers who have told me how burdensome regulations and added costs are pushing their operations to the breaking point. Extreme weather and wildfires fueled by climate change have also made farming more unpredictable, forcing growers to adapt.

With these myriad challenges, some producers have turned to solar energy as a lifeline. While opponents argue solar development poses a threat to agriculture, others are demonstrating how these two industries can be not only compatible, but symbiotic.

This solar project in Lake County was developed in cooperation with the landowner to produce renewable energy.  (Contributed by NewSun Energy)

Oregon needs to build more solar energy to meet its decarbonization goals set in House Bill 2021 and satisfy power demands for growing economic sectors, including energy-hungry data centers. Farmers and ranchers typically make between $300 and $2,000 per acre per year leasing land for solar, providing much-needed income to help them weather volatile global markets and stay in business.

As of August 2024, Oregon has about 1,815 megawatts of installed solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). That represents a 23-fold jump over the past decade. Still, solar makes up only 4% of Oregon’s total electricity generation, showing ample room for growth as investor-owned utilities work to decarbonize retail electricity sales by 2040. Data centers like those near The Dalles and Hermiston will be particularly energy-intensive going forward, requiring 10-50 times more per square foot than commercial office buildings, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

When it comes to siting solar projects, developers must meet stringent requirements aimed at protecting communities, farming, and natural resources. Site certificates are reviewed by the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC), and projects on public land are also subject to the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These reviews ensure that solar projects are built in appropriate areas that avoid harming or fragmenting high-value agricultural land.

Additionally, researchers at Oregon State University are now studying ways that solar panels can be incorporated on farms to benefit crops and forage. The concept, called agrivoltaics, is now being put to the test on a research farm at OSU’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center. Chad Higgins, who is leading the project, said agrivoltaics is showing promise to not only add another revenue stream for farms, but also better manage sunlight to grow healthier plants using less water.

All of this goes to show that farms and solar panels cannot just coexist, but they can be mutually beneficially. Rather than scapegoating solar for Oregon’s declining farmland, lawmakers should be focused on improving the regulatory environment that will improve both our food and energy production together. Oregon farmers and ranchers have a long history of innovation, and solar energy should be treated as a friend, not foe, to this important industry.