S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4911
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 24, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. KELLES -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Agriculture
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to estab-
   lishing the agrivoltaics research program
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
 section 151-j to read as follows:
   § 151-J. AGRIVOLTAICS RESEARCH PROGRAM. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED
 THE AGRIVOLTAICS RESEARCH PROGRAM. THE PURPOSE  OF  THE  PROGRAM  IS  TO
 DEVELOP INNOVATIVE SCIENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO FACILITATE THE CO-LOCATION
 OF  CROPS  AND PHOTOVOLTAICS WHILE PROMOTING THE BIODIVERSITY OF ENDEMIC
 FLORA AND FAUNA. IN DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM, THE NEW YORK  STATE  COLLEGE
 OF  AGRICULTURE  AND  LIFE SCIENCES, AS NAMED PURSUANT TO SECTION FIFTY-
 SEVEN HUNDRED TWELVE OF THE EDUCATION LAW, SHALL CONDUCT,  SUPPORT,  AND
 DEVELOP TECHNOLOGIES AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, ALONG WITH VERIFICATIONS
 SYSTEMS TO FACILITATE THE SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT CO-LOCATION OF CROPS
 AND PHOTOVOLTAICS.
   2.  SUBJECT  TO  AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS, THE PROGRAM SHALL CONSIDER,
 BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING: CROP  VARIETALS  AND/OR  LIVESTOCK
 SUITABLE  FOR  AGRIVOLTAICS;  SITING  DESIGN  CONSIDERATIONS  AND  ARRAY
 INSTALLATION TECHNIQUES COMPATIBLE WITH AGRICULTURAL CO-LOCATION  AND/OR
 BIODIVERSITY  CONSERVATION; AND INTEGRATION OF DIGITAL AND ROBOTIC TECH-
 NOLOGIES. THE PROGRAM SHALL ALSO CONCOMITANTLY CONSIDER  SOCIO-ECONOMICS
 IN  THE  FORMATION OF RESEARCH TRIALS AND PUBLISHED RECOMMENDATIONS. THE
 PROGRAM SHALL CONDUCT AND DEMONSTRATE SUCCESSFUL CROPPING  AND/OR  LIVE-
 STOCK  SYSTEMS  AND TECHNOLOGIES IN PILOT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE
 OF NEW YORK AND IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT  SUCH  RESEARCH  ON  THE
 STATE'S  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS,  AND OTHER LOCATIONS DEEMED
 SUITABLE FOR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS TO EVALUATE,  DETER-
 MINE,  AND  RECOMMEND  STRATEGIES  TO ENABLE AGRIVOLTAICS.   THE CORNELL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08775-02-3
              

 A. 4911                             2
 
 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SYSTEM SHALL BE UTILIZED FOR  KNOWLEDGE  TRANSFER,
 AND ANNUAL REPORTS SHALL BE MADE AND PUBLICLY DISSEMINATED.
   3.  THE  PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, RESEARCH ON THE
 FOLLOWING TOPICS, CONSISTENT WITH NEW YORK STATE'S CLIMATE GOALS:
   (A) METHODS TO MAXIMIZE THE ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY AND SCIENTIFIC EFFICA-
 CY OF THE CO-LOCATION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS AND PHOTOVOLTAICS;
   (B) IMPROVEMENTS OR ENHANCEMENTS IN BIODIVERSITY  WHEN  COMBINED  WITH
 LOW-LYING OR ELEVATED PHOTOVOLTAIC INSTALLMENTS;
   (C)  DEVELOPMENT,  TESTING  AND  DEPLOYMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING
 DIGITAL AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS, SMALL-SCALE ROBOTICS FOR PLANTING, HARVEST-
 ING, AND CROP MANAGEMENT;
   (D) RESEARCH THAT FACILITATES PRODUCTIVE AGRIVOLTAICS  ACROSS  SEVERAL
 DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CROPS INCLUDING RESEARCH THAT ENABLES UNDERSTAND-
 ING  OF  AGRIVOLTAICS EFFECTS ON SOIL HEALTH, SOIL CARBON SEQUESTRATION,
 EROSION, WATER MANAGEMENT, AND  SPECIALTY  CROP  CANOPY  MANAGEMENT  FOR
 ENHANCED CLIMATE RESILIENCY; AND
   (E)  RESEARCH  THAT QUANTIFIES TOTAL KILOWATTS PRODUCED, RATES OF CROP
 PRODUCTION, AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AVOIDED IN LIEU OF FOSSIL  FUEL
 GENERATION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.