A new project in western Colorado could change how the U.S. grows food and how it powers the future.
At Colorado State University's Western Campus in Grand Junction, state viticulturist Horst Caspari has installed rows of solar panels above his Chardonnay grapevines. The setup, known as agrivoltaics, allows farmland to produce crops and clean energy at the same time — shielding plants from extreme weather while supplying electricity to nearby facilities.
According to Colorado Newsline, Caspari's pilot vineyard is the first of its kind in the U.S. to combine grape production with overhead solar panels. The design aims to solve several major problems at once: hail, frost, heat, and drought — each of which has devastated Colorado's fruit crops in recent years.
"We can do both — install solar panels to create energy, and protect crops and land at the same time," Caspari told Colorado Newsline.
The panels' partial shade cools crops and lowers water demand, while their heat-trapping structure helps prevent frost damage that can wipe out entire harvests. During a catastrophic hailstorm last summer, local farmers lost peaches, apples, and grapes, but Caspari says his new setup could keep future harvests safe.
Each rotating solar panel in the Grand Junction vineyard tracks the sun's movement, generating roughly 155 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, which is about 40% of the campus' total energy use, per Colorado Newsline. At nearby Talbott Farms, another agrivoltaic installation will soon power the family's packing and storage facilities while protecting their peach orchards from cold snaps.
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This dual-use approach is catching on fast. According to the Colorado Department of Agriculture, more than 20 agrivoltaic sites are now active across the state, and nonprofit groups like Jack's Solar Garden in Longmont have become national models for blending food and energy production.
"Colorado is a hot spot for agrivoltaics, thanks to our innovative farmers and our frequent sunshine," said Kristen Boysen, who manages the state's Drought and Climate Resilience Office, per Colorado Newsline.
Beyond energy savings, the technology could help small farmers stay in business by diversifying income and keeping farmland in agricultural use instead of being sold for development. It also protects farmworkers from heat — research from the University of Arizona found skin temperatures can drop by as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit beneath solar arrays.
Colorado's agriculture department continues to offer grants to expand these systems, even as federal funding tightens. The goal is to keep farms productive and communities powered through climate extremes.
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Agrivoltaics could make that difference for farmers, consumers, and the planet.
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