Distributed Energy Infrastructure joins new solar plus farming organization
Solar EPC firm Distributed Energy Infrastructure (DEI) has joined the board of the Solar and Farming Association (SAFA), becoming the first in a group of companies to help launch the new trade association.
The association will advocate for “farmer-centered dual-use” projects around the solar industry, and will aim to build energy resilience in rural areas. The association also hopes to provide farmers across the U.S. with reliable and long-term income based off of solar power and the opportunities it creates.
Sean Harrington, the founder and CEO of DEI, says that both SAFA’s member companies and the farmers they serve will be crucial to building that energy resilience.
“Dual-use solar + farming only works if farmers are true partners in the process,” Harrington says. “That means allowing farmers to control what happens to their land, designing projects that protect soil, and creating reliable additional income that allows families to keep farming. SAFA is helping bring that conversation to the forefront.”
SAFA says it recognizes that farmers entrust solar project developers with not only their land, but their operations and therefore their livelihoods. In return, the association’s member companies have made it their mission to ensure that solar plus farming projects are designed around the needs of the farmers themselves.
“Real-world experience”
DEI officials say their company’s commitment to farmer-centered solar is “grounded in real-world experience” of the agricultural realm. Two of the company’s premier projects—Black Cat and Ring Road, both in Plymouth, Massachusetts—are situated above cranberry bogs in the area. As part of the firm’s land protection protocol, DEI worked with SAFA member and landowner Iain Ward to keep the bogs in pristine condition before, during, and after construction.
“The DEI team was eager to learn about the agricultural nuances of growing specialty crops and incorporate those nuances into construction,” Ward says. “From the very beginning, they asked questions to find out what it took for my farming operations to remain successful. This farm-centered approach is what’s needed for solar + farming projects across the nation, and I’m excited to help SAFA advocate for it.”
SAFA chair Lucy Bullock-Sieger says DEI’s dedication to SAFA’s wider mission, and their project experience in the agrivoltaics space, will be exceptionally valuable as the association continues to advance its policies and practices on a nationwide scale. She adds that DEI is a “highly qualified EPC,” and is looking forward to their partnership’s short- and long-term future.
DEI has plans in place to support SAFA’s policies on both a state and regional level, the Acton, Massachusetts-based company says. The firm will support SAFA throughout both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions with policies that support rural energy resilience, long-term economic stability for farmers, and energy independence across the region.
“Dual-use solar + farming is one tool in a broader toolbox to strengthen rural economies,” Harrington says. “By working alongside farmers, policymakers, and SAFA, we can help ensure these projects support both rural energy needs and the future of American agriculture.”
