{"id":20225,"date":"2022-06-08T00:12:19","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T00:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lightsourcebp.com\/news\/the-responsible-solar-approach-part-3-soil-health-biodiversity\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T10:44:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T10:44:58","slug":"the-responsible-solar-approach-part-3-soil-health-biodiversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandbox.lightsourcebp.com\/us\/news\/the-responsible-solar-approach-part-3-soil-health-biodiversity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Responsible Solar Approach part 3: Soil health & biodiversity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Responsible Solar Approach part 3: Soil health & biodiversity<\/h1>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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Third article in a series by Alyssa Edwards,<\/a> Senior Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Government Relations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Solar farms can grow a lot more than electricity.<\/h2>\n

Conventional wisdom has it that the only thing a solar farm can grow is electricity. But we\u2019ve found that layering in additional benefits creates conditions where both the developer and the community can thrive. That starts with investing in soil health and biodiversity.<\/p>\n

Unlike residential and retail development, solar preserves much of the land below projects. The soil around and under the panels can support plants to reduce erosion and attract the insects needed to pollinate nearby crops.<\/p>\n

Introducing renewable energy projects to skeptical communities requires more than soothing platitudes. It requires evidence, good faith and a track record of demonstrated results. These steps may cost a little more, but they build community acceptance and goodwill that make the investment worthwhile.<\/p>\n

The needs are clear: The climate crisis requires us to triple solar development to reach 30% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030 \u2014 that is almost 125 GW a year. Reaching that goal means overcoming local opposition. We\u2019re taking extra steps to be good stewards: improving soil health and promoting biodiversity to nurture community support.<\/p>\n

Soil health<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At first blush, it seems that a solar farm can cover a lot of previously unused acreage, but its footprint is actually lighter than other land uses. A subdivision or strip mall, for example, permanently transforms the land, while solar arrays can accommodate other land uses while also generating power. At the end of a solar farm\u2019s useful life, its pilings and equipment are easily removed.<\/p>\n

The \u201cmost underappreciated quality of solar power is that the land is \u2018preserved\u2019 for 30 years, and allowed to regenerate,\u201d Lightsource bp CEO Kevin Smith said in a comment on my\u00a0last article.<\/a> \u201cAt the end of the 30 years, if the best use of the land is to return to farming, the facility can be removed, leaving a clean and enriched site ready for planting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Preserving farmland and promoting soil health means keeping soil available and healthy for future generations. For example:<\/p>\n