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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 15, 2024
Securing and Understanding our National Renewable Agriculture Yields for Energy Act or the SUNRAY for Energy Act
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct a study, research, and demonstration regarding agrivoltaic systems. The bill defines agrivoltaic system as a system under which solar energy production and agricultural production, including crop or animal production, occur in an integrated manner on the same piece of land through the duration of a project.
Specifically, the bill directs USDA to study agrivoltaic systems, which includes conducting a review of current research and identifying research gaps. USDA must also develop a five-year plan for using USDA's research, extension, outreach, conservation, and renewable energy activities to better support agrivoltaic systems that do not displace agricultural production.
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USDA must also develop a definition for agrivoltaic system for the purposes of incorporating these systems into federal agriculture and energy programs, and investment tax credits.
In addition, the Agricultural Research Service must establish and maintain a network of agrivoltaic systems research and demonstration sites in multiple U.S. regions to investigate increasing agricultural productivity and profitability, enhancing agricultural resilience and the capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate change, protecting biodiversity, and increasing economic opportunities in rural communities.
Further, the Natural Resources Conservation Service must develop national and regional guidance on best practices for the protection of soil health and productivity during the siting, construction, operation, and decommissioning of solar energy systems on agricultural land. The guidance must be updated at least every two years.
People & committees
Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17] · D–IL
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Oct 5, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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