Farmers Powering Communities launches to advance agrivoltaics and rural solar benefits
Reactivate, American Farmland Trust, and Edelen Renewables form partnership to protect farmland, cut rural energy costs, and deliver community solar projects
Solar energy is popular in the agricultural sector — the growing agrivoltaics segment. Unfortunately, in August, the Trump administration puts limits on the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which helps farmers install solar arrays on their land.
The program has awarded around $1.2 billion in grants and $2.5 billion in loan guarantees for solar in rural areas nationwide since 2014, the vast majority of that on farms (the emerging agrivoltaics segment). Around 70% of the program’s funds have gone to solar projects over the last 10 years.
That will hurt, a new partnership hopes to keep agrivoltaics momentum moving. Reactivate, an Invenergy company, has joined forces with American Farmland Trust (AFT) and Edelen Renewables Community Solar to launch Farmers Powering Communities (FPC), a national initiative designed to bring community-scale solar projects to farmland and rural towns.
The mission: tie clean energy development directly to agricultural viability, resilience, and long-term rural prosperity.
Protecting farmland while deploying solar
FPC will use American Farmland Trust’s custom data and mapping tools to evaluate land productivity, versatility, and resiliency (PVR) before siting solar projects. The approach prioritizes built environment and marginal lands for development, reducing pressure on high-value farmland. The group will also advance agrivoltaics—projects where crops and solar arrays share the same footprint—to demonstrate how farming and renewable energy can complement each other.
“This is a game-changing new partnership that centers the needs of agricultural communities in the development of renewable energy projects,” said Nathan L’Etoile, National Farm Viability Managing Director at AFT. “We’re going to ensure that all projects are aligned with our Smart Solar principles and deliver real, positive benefits for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.”
Lowering rural energy costs and boosting resilience
By focusing on community-scale projects, FPC aims to bring direct economic benefits to local households, nonprofits, and small businesses in working-class and rural areas where electricity costs are often highest. Energy savings will be paired with job creation, workforce training, and new local tax revenue streams.
“Solar can and should be a win-win for rural America,” said Nathan Cryder, Managing Partner of Edelen Renewables Community Solar. “FPC is about common sense problem-solving—helping farmers stay on their land, reducing energy costs for families, and making sure the clean energy truly lifts the communities that need it most.”
A long-term stewardship model
Reactivate will serve as FPC’s exclusive developer. The company, which has built a track record in community-focused energy solutions, will manage projects from concept through long-term operations.
“We know many farmers have maintained their land for generations,” said Utopia Hill, CEO of Reactivate. “As owners of our energy projects, we understand long-term stewardship and the importance of maintaining agricultural viability while delivering tangible economic benefits for farmers and rural communities.”
What’s next
The Farmers Powering Communities partnership will first target regions where farmland preservation is most at risk and demand for affordable clean energy is climbing. Initial projects are expected to be announced later this year.
The initiative also expands AFT’s national Smart Solar network, which emphasizes solar siting practices that prioritize land stewardship and local economic development.
