Bill > S2931

This bill, the Protecting Future Farmland Act of 2023, amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to modify the Rural Energy for America Program. It defines "agrivoltaic system" as a system that integrates solar energy production and agricultural production on the same land, and requires the Secretary of Agriculture to incorporate this definition into relevant USDA programs. The bill also directs the Secretary to develop guidance on best practices for protecting soil health and productivity during the siting, construction, operation, and decommissioning of solar energy systems on agricultural land. Additionally, it allows the Secretary to provide technical assistance to farmers growing crops under or alongside solar energy systems, and requires a study on the regional compatibility of different livestock and crop types with agrivoltaic systems, as well as the economic and environmental impacts of such systems.