Jordan Beezley Deputy Commissioner of External Affairs | Official Website
Jordan Beezley Deputy Commissioner of External Affairs | Official Website
The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently accepting applications for its Agrivoltaics Research and Demonstration Grant Program. This initiative, now in its third year, aims to support projects that integrate solar energy production on agricultural land.
This year's grant seeks to fund efforts involving the construction or expansion of agrivoltaics systems, demonstration projects, outreach, communication, and research. Interested applicants can access comprehensive guidelines and instructions on the program's website. The grants cap at $150,000, with a total of $300,000 available for distribution.
Evanne Caviness, Director of the CDA Conservation Division, stated, "This program is designed to directly benefit Colorado farmers by supporting innovative projects that explore the integration of solar energy production with agriculture." She further emphasized, "Agrivoltaics is an innovative approach we support at CDA because it benefits producers in two ways: by helping them balance the energy production value of renewables while keeping working lands in production."
The CDA will focus this year on demonstration, outreach, and research projects, particularly in southeastern and southwestern Colorado, areas lacking previous grant funding and demonstration projects.
Eligible applicants include individual landowners or farms, Tribal or local governments, research or higher education institutions, and both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Applicants must submit detailed proposals, including project summaries, methodologies, benefits to producers, and budgets, using the application template available online. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 2025, via email to Rosie.Skovron@state.co.us.
To assist in the application process, the CDA staff will host an informational webinar on April 29, explaining the application criteria and addressing questions. The webinar will be recorded and accessible on the program's website.
The previous iteration of the grants funded six varied projects statewide. Notable examples include Uneva Energy's evaluation of solar installations on feedlots and the Bousselot Lab's solar array on a raspberry farm at the CSU SPUR campus in Denver. AgriSolar, Colorado State University, Talbott’s Mountain Gold, and Cloudbreak Energy Partners also led projects.
The Agrivoltaics Grant Program is a component of the CDA's Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office, promoting the adaptability of Colorado producers to climate change and drought challenges.
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