* § 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
technologies. 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 livestock 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, determine, and recommend strategies to enable agrivoltaics.
The Cornell 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
efficacy 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,
harvesting, and crop management;

(d) research that facilitates productive agrivoltaics across several
different varieties of crops including research that enables
understanding 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.

4. Such program shall be funded by appropriations made available in
chapter fifty-three of the laws of two thousand twenty-three to the New
York state college of agriculture and life sciences at Cornell
university for the purpose of studying the ecological impacts of
agrivoltaics, and any future appropriation made thereafter for the same
purpose.

* NB Repealed December 31, 2030