I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7391 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a study and research 

and demonstration on agrivoltaic systems and to issue guidance on best 

practices for protection of soil health and productivity during the siting, 

construction, operation, and decommissioning of solar energy systems 

on agricultural land. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2024 

Mr. SORENSEN (for himself, Ms. PINGREE, and Ms. CROCKETT) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a study 

and research and demonstration on agrivoltaic systems 

and to issue guidance on best practices for protection 

of soil health and productivity during the siting, construction, operation, and decommissioning of solar energy 

systems on agricultural land. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing and Under5 standing our National Renewable Agriculture Yields for 

6 Energy Act’’ or the ‘‘SUNRAY for Energy Act’’. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 7391 IH

1 SEC. 2. AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEMS. 

2 (a) DEFINITION OF AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEM.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 

4 (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall 

5 incorporate the definition of the term ‘‘agrivoltaic 

6 system’’ under paragraph (2) into all applicable pro7 grams of the Department of Agriculture relating to 

8 agrivoltaic systems. 

9 (2) DEFINITION OF AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEM.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘agrivoltaic 

11 system’’— 

12 (i) means a system under which solar 

13 energy production and agricultural produc14 tion, including crop or animal production, 

15 occurs in an integrated manner on the 

16 same piece of land through the duration of 

17 a solar project; and 

18 (ii) includes any subsequent definition 

19 developed under subparagraph (B). 

20 (B) SUBSEQUENT DEFINITION.— 

21 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in 

22 consultation with the Secretary of Energy 

23 and farm and conservation groups, shall 

24 develop a definition of the term 

25 ‘‘agrivoltaic system’’ for purposes of the in26 corporation of agrivoltaic systems into— 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 7391 IH

1 (I) Federal agricultural conserva2 tion programs; 

3 (II) Federal agricultural risk 

4 management programs, including 

5 Federal crop insurance; 

6 (III) Federal renewable energy 

7 programs; 

8 (IV) Federal agricultural pro9 curement programs; 

10 (V) Federal investment tax cred11 its; 

12 (VI) such other programs as the 

13 Secretary determines to be appro14 priate; and 

15 (VII) the regulations of the Sec16 retary relating to the programs de17 scribed in subclauses (I) through (VI). 

18 (ii) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing 

19 the definition of ‘‘agrivoltaic system’’ 

20 under clause (i), the Secretary shall con21 sider— 

22 (I) using or modifying the defini23 tion under subparagraph (A)(i); 

24 (II) regional needs and variations 

25 in climate, soils, costs, existing infraVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:23 Feb 29, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7391.IH H7391

khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 7391 IH

1 structure, and market access for 

2 agrivoltaic system products; 

3 (III) existing State and local 

4 agrivoltaic system policies and defini5 tions; and 

6 (IV) such other factors as the 

7 Secretary determines to be appro8 priate. 

9 (b) STUDY.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordina11 tion with the Secretary of Energy and relevant ex12 perts, shall conduct a study on agrivoltaic systems 

13 that shall include— 

14 (A) a review of the current research and 

15 gaps in research relating to the regional com16 patibility of different species of livestock with 

17 different agrivoltaic panel and agrivoltaic sys18 tem designs, including— 

19 (i) the optimal height of and distance 

20 between solar panels for— 

21 (I) livestock grazing; and 

22 (II) shade for livestock; 

23 (ii) manure management consider24 ations; 

25 (iii) fencing requirements; 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 7391 IH

1 (iv) other animal handling consider2 ations; and 

3 (v) the incorporation of apiculture; 

4 (B) an assessment of animal breeding re5 search needs with respect to beneficial and com6 patible characteristics and behaviors of different 

7 species of grazing animals in agrivoltaic sys8 tems; 

9 (C) a review of the current research and 

10 gaps in research relating to the regional com11 patibility of different crop types with different 

12 agrivoltaic system designs, including— 

13 (i) the optimal height of and distance 

14 between solar panels for— 

15 (I) plant shading; and 

16 (II) farm equipment use; 

17 (ii) the impact on crop yield; 

18 (iii) the impact on soil moisture and 

19 water availability; and 

20 (iv) market opportunities to sell crops 

21 at a premium price; 

22 (D) an assessment of plant breeding re23 search needs with respect to beneficial and com24 patible characteristics of different crops, includVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:23 Feb 29, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7391.IH H7391

khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 7391 IH

1 ing specialty and perennial crops, in agrivoltaic 

2 systems; 

3 (E) a risk-benefit analysis of agrivoltaic 

4 systems in different regions of the United 

5 States, including a comparison between the 

6 total greenhouse gas impact of agrivoltaic sys7 tems and solar energy systems that displace ag8 ricultural production; 

9 (F) an assessment of the economic 

10 scalability of agrivoltaic systems across dif11 ferent agricultural land types, production sys12 tems, and regional markets; 

13 (G) an assessment of the types of agricul14 tural land best suited and worst suited for 

15 agrivoltaic systems; 

16 (H) an assessment of how to best develop 

17 agrivoltaic systems on a national and local scale 

18 consistent with— 

19 (i) maintaining or increasing agricul20 tural production; 

21 (ii) increasing agricultural resilience; 

22 (iii) retaining prime farmland; 

23 (iv) increasing economic opportunities 

24 in farming and rural communities; 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 7391 IH

1 (v) reducing nonfarmer ownership of 

2 farmland; and 

3 (vi) enhancing biodiversity; 

4 (I) an assessment of the unique risk man5 agement and crop insurance needs of agrivoltaic 

6 systems; 

7 (J) an assessment of how Federal procure8 ment of agricultural products could help build 

9 a market for agricultural products from farms 

10 with agrivoltaic systems; and 

11 (K) an assessment of appropriate modifica12 tions to better incorporate agrivoltaic systems 

13 into existing Federal— 

14 (i) agricultural conservation pro15 grams; 

16 (ii) agricultural risk management pro17 grams, including Federal crop insurance; 

18 (iii) renewable energy programs; 

19 (iv) agricultural procurement pro20 grams; and 

21 (v) investment tax credits. 

22 (2) 5-YEAR PLAN.—Based on the study under 

23 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall develop a 5-year 

24 plan for using the research, extension, outreach, con25 servation, and renewable energy activities of the DeVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:23 Feb 29, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7391.IH H7391

khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 7391 IH

1 partment of Agriculture to better support agrivoltaic 

2 systems that do not displace agricultural production. 

3 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the 

4 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

5 submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the 

6 House of Representatives and the Committee on Ag7 riculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a 

8 report containing the results of the study conducted 

9 under paragraph (1). 

10 (c) AGRIVOLTAIC SYSTEM RESEARCH AND DEM11 ONSTRATION.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 

13 through the Administrator of the Agricultural Re14 search Service and in coordination with the Director 

15 of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture 

16 and the relevant research programs of the Depart17 ment of Energy, shall establish and maintain a net18 work of research and demonstration sites operated 

19 by the Agricultural Research Service to investigate 

20 and demonstrate agrivoltaic systems in multiple re21 gions of the United States, including arid, semi-arid, 

22 and wet agricultural zones, that— 

23 (A) increase agricultural productivity and 

24 profitability; 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 7391 IH

1 (B) enhance agricultural resilience and the 

2 capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate 

3 change; 

4 (C) protect biodiversity; and 

5 (D) increase economic opportunities in 

6 farming and rural communities. 

7 (2) COLLABORATION.—In establishing and 

8 maintaining the network described in paragraph (1), 

9 the Secretary shall collaborate with climate hubs of 

10 the Department of Agriculture and extension pro11 grams to share research findings and translate re12 search findings into educational, outreach, and tech13 nical assistance materials for agricultural producers, 

14 including through cooperative agreements. 

15 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

16 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

17 $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 

18 SEC. 3. BEST PRACTICES GUIDANCE FOR SOLAR ENERGY 

19 LAND MANAGEMENT. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

21 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri22 culture, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources 

23 Conservation Service (referred to in this section as the 

24 ‘‘Secretary’’), in collaboration with the Secretary of En25 ergy (including the Solar Energy Technologies Office) and 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 7391 IH

1 the national office of the rural development mission area 

2 of the Department of Agriculture, shall— 

3 (1) develop both national and regionally rel4 evant guidance on best practices for protection of 

5 soil health and productivity during the siting, con6 struction, operation, and decommissioning of solar 

7 energy systems on agricultural land, which shall in8 clude— 

9 (A) guidance for— 

10 (i) soil carbon and soil health; 

11 (ii) water management; 

12 (iii) vegetation management, including 

13 types of plants best suited for pollinators; 

14 and 

15 (iv) other practices, as determined ap16 propriate by the Secretary of Agriculture; 

17 and 

18 (B) regional considerations for each type 

19 of guidance described in clauses (i) through (iv) 

20 of subparagraph (A); and 

21 (2) make the guidance developed under para22 graph (1) publicly available on the website of the 

23 Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

24 (b) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Secretary, acting 

25 through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 7391 IH

1 Service, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, 

2 shall— 

3 (1) update guidance developed under subsection 

4 (a)(1) not less frequently than once every 2 years; 

5 and 

6 (2) ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, 

7 the completeness and relevance of that guidance. 

8 (c) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the review under 

9 subsection (b), the Secretary shall consult with eligible 

10 participants, State technical committees established under 

11 section 1261(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

12 U.S.C. 3861(a)), crop consultants, cooperative extension 

13 and land grant universities, nongovernmental organiza14 tions, industry, and other qualified entities. 

Æ 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS