Growing Together: How Solar and Agriculture Benefit Landowners and Land Stewards

Introduction: Pivot Energy’s Purpose-Driven Solar Development 

If you took a road trip to Pivot Energy sites across America, you’d find more than just solar panels. There are sheep grazing, bees buzzing, and fields blooming with pollinator-friendly plants. Pivot’s approach to solar energy supports rural livelihoods, agricultural productivity, national energy security, and long-term land stewardship.

We’re committed to building solar farms that work with the land we live, work, and depend on. Pivot builds relationships with local landowners and grazers, invests in local economies, and champions regenerative land use in communities across the country. 

Today, we employ managed grazing across 100% of qualified projects, and anticipate adding 50-60 more agrivoltaics projects per year in 2025 and beyond. We proudly sponsor education and certification through the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA). ASGA is a farmer-founded and farmer-led nonprofit dedicated to advancing and promoting solar grazing by creating best practices and industry standards. Our sponsorship enables ASGA to help sheep farmers realize the many benefits that solar grazing presents and even produce a documentary film on the transformative power of solar grazing.

Keep reading to learn more about why we prioritize land care and how we implement industry-leading practices to protect and preserve our most precious resources.

Why Dual Land Use Matters

Dual land use, also known as agrivoltaics, integrates solar energy production with agricultural practices like grazing, beekeeping, or crop cultivation. This model allows renewable energy generation to coexist with and strengthen food production and biodiversity. It also creates economic opportunities for the many stakeholders in the solar project:

For landowners: Long-term solar sites with rotational grazing improve soil health and biodiversity, stabilize farm revenue, reduce vegetation management costs, and strengthen agricultural resilience without requiring farmers to give up their land amidst rising input costs and economic strain.

For grazers: A grazer refers to someone who owns or manages a flock of sheep that graze on land, typically for the purpose of producing wool, meat, or milk. Access to land is one of the biggest barriers to entry for new grazers, especially those in niche markets like sheep farming or in regions like the Midwest, where grazing programs are still developing. Solar grazing partnerships provide grazers with access to land. Reliable access to pasture enables grazers to grow their herds and produce agricultural goods.

For communities: Dual land use creates quality jobs in rural areas – from grazers, construction workers, and equipment suppliers to solar jobs in operations and maintenance, project management, and manufacturing. The “homegrown energy” produced on Pivot’s dual-use sites also reduces dependence on imported energy, supporting American energy independence and keeping its economic benefits rooted in rural communities. 

Supporting Local Farmers and Land Stewards

Farmers and grazers across the U.S. face mounting challenges: rising land costs, yield uncertainty, and shrinking margins. Yet many aren’t sure how to enter the solar grazing space or how to navigate the expectations of developers. 

Pivot engages in community partnerships that provide the resources needed to navigate these opportunities. Through our support of ASGA and similar organizations, we help grazers gain the knowledge and credibility needed to work with solar developers. ASGA’s training standards cover everything from vegetation management to contract negotiation and budgeting. Pivot’s sponsorship helps fund this powerful new pathway for rural resilience. 

"We're excited to have Pivot Energy sponsor the ASGA Certified Solar Grazing Training Workshop in Illinois, which will teach farmers the basics of raising sheep on solar sites. We have an incredible opportunity to support farmers by combining agriculture with solar energy production across the United States. Creating strong partnerships between farmers and the solar companies through training programs like the certification workshop are crucial to equipping farmers to take advantage of the opportunities solar grazing offers and grow the industry."

Kevin Richardson, ASGA

Building Collaborative Partnerships

Pivot believes that a successful dual land use project is built on trust and mutual understanding. We work closely with farmers, ranchers, and beekeepers from the earliest stages of a project. In many cases, we bring grazers to the table before a project has even been permitted. These early partnerships garner local support, strengthen outcomes, and build community ties that last throughout the life of a project. This is beneficial for landowners, grazers, and communities.

Sustained communication is another key aspect of our partnerships. Pivot-supported trainings include guidance on how to maintain effective, consistent communication between grazers and solar operators throughout the project lifecycle, and we aim to collaborate with farmers and grazers in ways that reflect their needs and experience.

This collaborative approach helps ensure our projects are technically sound and socially integrated, reducing land-use conflicts and aligning solar operations with local agricultural goals. By centering the voices and expertise of those who know the land best, we create projects that are uniquely resilient.

Investing in Long-Term Success

Pivot is committed to long-term stewardship of every project we build. Many solar developers sell projects after they’re built – sometimes multiple times over a contract’s lifespan. Pivot is different. As a renewable independent power producer (IPP), our full-service, in-house team oversees development, operations, and maintenance, ensuring consistency, accountability, and a shared commitment to success.

We adapt agrivoltaic tactics to the unique needs of each site and landowner, tailoring vegetation mixes, grazing rotations, and beekeeping arrangements to reflect changing conditions and regional weather patterns. Our participation in cutting-edge research allows us to continually innovate and set new standards for solar agrivoltaics that ensure American farmland remains productive, resilient, and economically viable for the long term.

These tools and resources extend beyond our own sites. We train the next generation of grazers, create replicable models, develop best practices, and lead by example – encouraging community solar companies across the country to adopt dual-use principles in their operations. 

"Pivot Energy has helped our company expand in the solar grazing industry through their financial support, thinking outside of the traditional ways for vegetation management, and with introductions to other solar companies. We are very grateful to have Pivot Energy!"

Tom Brown, Grazer Brown Land & Livestock (Colorado)

Conclusion: A Shared Vision of the Future

At Pivot, we’re building more than solar projects. Through our collaborative and cutting-edge dual land use practices, we’re contributing to a future where renewable energy supports land stewards, strengthens rural economies, and restores ecosystems. 

Learn more about Pivot’s land stewardship practices by reading our blog here. Or, contact us to explore partnership opportunities.