In our latest episode, we welcomed Tony Logan—local resident, farmer, agricultural attorney, and former Ohio head of USDA Rural Development—for a great chat on agrivoltaics, the integration of solar energy and agriculture.
Logan shared how agrivoltaics offers a sustainable path forward, blending traditional farming with renewable energy in ways that can improve soil health, support pollinators, and keep farm families on the land. Drawing on Ohio State University’s research and his own experience, he explained how solar installations—when designed with farming in mind—can enhance moisture retention, increase microbial activity, and provide long-term economic stability for rural communities.
Additionally, tools like smart leasing, legal safeguards, and forward-thinking design (such as solar trackers and higher panel mounts) enable farmers to continue raising crops and livestock—even sheep grazing directly under the panels. Logan emphasized the need for community solar legislation to empower towns like Hilliard to generate affordable, local power while preserving prime farmland and farm families.
The conversation touched on Ohio’s latest regulatory hurdles and fresh updates on the still raging FirstEnergy corruption scandal winding its way through PUCO hearings.
But Tony stayed focused on the opportunity for agrivoltaics to combat sprawl, and the potential of pairing solar with battery storage for 24/7 clean energy. He urged landowners and residents to advocate for policies that allow agrivoltaics to flourish, calling it “the best of two worlds: clean energy and better soils.”
For those interested in learning more, Logan encouraged looking beyond myths and toward the emerging science and practical models already in place here in Ohio.
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