Rethinking Water Scarcity, Energy, and Agriculture: Coupling Agrivoltaics With Addressing Groundwater Depletion

Resolving groundwater overuse is an ongoing challenge that will require irrigation to cease on some land, leading to questions about what to do with land no longer irrigated. At the same time, the world is undergoing a green-energy transition, with new renewable energy infrastructure needed to meet renewable energy targets. Transitioning previously irrigated land to solar energy production with agriculture (i.e., agrivoltaics) can provide simultaneous benefits of reducing water use while increasing renewable energy generation on already disturbed land. We share a study of the viability, benefits, and tradeoffs of transitioning previously irrigated land to agrivoltaics in Diamond Valley, Nevada, where a mandated groundwater management plan will inevitably result in land coming out of irrigated production. Nevada is committed to 50% of electricity sold being from renewable energy sources by 2030 and 100% by 2050, so there is strong interest in developing renewable energy infrastructure, including on previously disturbed lands such as those used for agriculture near transmission lines. We found that while soils and sunlight in arid places like Diamond Valley are suitable for incorporating agrivoltaics with little to no irrigation, transmission capacity is a limiting factor. Additional studies are needed to determine system upgrades required for solar, and effective solar leases are important to protect landowners from financial risks.