Powering the Farm: Exploring Alternative Energy Options in Arizona Agriculture
Arizona agriculture depends on energy to power irrigation systems, equipment, cooling, processing and other essential operations. As alternative energy technologies continue to develop, Arizona producers have more options to consider for generating and managing power. From solar and agrivoltaics to wind, biomass, hydropower and geothermal energy, each technology offers different opportunities and challenges. Understanding how these options work, and how they fit Arizona's unique agricultural environment, can help producers determine which technologies may be worth exploring for their operations.
Written by Holly Anderson, Agricultural Communications Intern
Energy is an important part of modern agriculture, even when it is not visible to consumers. Electricity and other forms of energy can be used to pump irrigation water, operate equipment, cool agricultural products, power buildings and support processing and storage.
Arizona's agricultural industry operates in an environment that creates both opportunities and challenges for alternative energy. The state receives abundant sunlight, has extensive irrigation infrastructure and includes a wide variety of agricultural operations. However, those conditions do not mean every energy technology will work for every farm.
The right option depends on the resources available, the needs of the operation, infrastructure, costs and how an energy system would interact with existing agricultural activities.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is one of the most accessible alternative energy technologies for Arizona agriculture. Photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into electricity, which can potentially be used to power irrigation systems, buildings, equipment and other farm operations.
Solar systems can be installed on existing structures such as barns or shops, or on the ground where appropriate.
Potential benefits include Arizona's abundant sunlight, the ability to generate electricity on-site and the opportunity to use existing structures for installation.
Potential considerations include upfront costs, available space, electrical infrastructure, utility interconnection and the fact that electricity production varies with sunlight.
For producers, the amount of available sunlight is only one part of the equation. Understanding an operation's energy demand and infrastructure is equally important when determining whether solar makes sense.
Agrivoltaics
Agrivoltaics combines solar energy production with agricultural activities on the same land. Depending on the system, this can include crops grown beneath or between elevated solar panels, livestock grazing or pollinator habitat.
Arizona has become an important location for agrivoltaics research. University of Arizona researchers have studied how solar panels can affect growing conditions in Arizona's hot, dry environment. Research has found that panel shading can influence crop temperatures, water use and plant productivity, although results vary by crop and system design.
For producers, agrivoltaics may provide an opportunity to combine agricultural production with electricity generation.
However, the technology also requires careful planning. Panel height and spacing need to accommodate equipment and agricultural activities, and not every crop will respond the same way to shade. When livestock are included, animals may interact with structures, creating potential risks of damage to panels, wiring or support equipment and potentially increasing maintenance needs.
Agrivoltaics is still an emerging area of research, making continued study important for determining which systems work best under Arizona conditions.
Wind Energy
Wind turbines generate electricity by converting the movement of air into power. Wind energy can potentially coexist with agricultural activities, with farming continuing around portions of turbine infrastructure.
However, wind is highly location-dependent. A farm experiencing occasional strong winds does not necessarily have a resource suitable for electricity generation. Consistent wind conditions, infrastructure, access roads, transmission and project economics all need to be evaluated.
Potential benefits include generating electricity without directly consuming water during operation and allowing agricultural production to continue around some infrastructure.
Potential considerations include construction impacts, noise, visual changes and potential wildlife effects. For an individual Arizona farm, wind would generally require more site-specific resource evaluation than solar.
Biomass and Biogas
Biomass energy uses organic materials to produce heat or electricity, while biogas can be produced when organic materials such as manure break down without oxygen.
This technology may be particularly relevant to agricultural operations that consistently produce large amounts of organic material, including some livestock and dairy operations.
The potential benefits include creating another use for agricultural byproducts and providing an additional method of managing organic waste.
However, scale matters. Collecting, transporting and processing biomass can be expensive, and specialized equipment may be necessary. Crop residues also have agricultural value because they can contribute to soil protection and organic matter. Producers therefore need to consider whether removing residues for energy is beneficial for the overall operation.
Hydropower
Hydropower generates electricity from moving water. While it may not be practical for individual farms, Arizona has examples of hydropower being integrated with water infrastructure.
The Salt River Project operates five hydroelectric plants with a combined generating capacity of 232 megawatts. Arizona Falls, located along the Arizona Canal, is another historic example of hydropower connected to irrigation infrastructure.
These examples demonstrate that water infrastructure can support both agricultural and energy purposes. However, an irrigation canal does not automatically provide the water flow and elevation necessary for an economically viable hydropower system.
For individual producers, hydropower is therefore a highly site-specific option.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy uses heat from beneath Earth's surface to provide electricity or direct heating and cooling.
For agriculture, potential applications could include greenhouses or facilities with significant heating and cooling needs. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal energy does not depend on daily sunlight or wind conditions.
Its biggest limitation is location. Suitable geological resources are required, and exploration and drilling can be expensive. As a result, geothermal energy may be worth investigating in areas with appropriate resources but is unlikely to be a practical option for every agricultural operation.
The Role of Energy Storage
Batteries do not generate energy, but they can complement alternative energy systems by storing electricity for later use.
This can be particularly relevant to solar and wind systems because electricity generation varies depending on sunlight and wind conditions. Storage can provide additional flexibility by allowing electricity generated at one time to be used later.
However, batteries introduce additional costs, equipment, maintenance and eventual replacement considerations.
Finding the Right Fit
Alternative energy does not have a single solution for Arizona agriculture.
A producer considering an energy project should first look at the needs of the operation and the resources available. How much electricity is being used? When is it needed? Is there adequate sunlight or wind? Does the operation produce enough organic material to make biomass practical? Is there existing infrastructure that could support the project?
Land use is another important consideration. Energy systems need to work alongside crops, livestock, equipment movement and future plans for the operation.
Costs also extend beyond installation. Producers may need to consider maintenance, insurance, financing, equipment replacement, utility requirements and permitting.
Powering the Future of Agriculture
Alternative energy technologies offer Arizona agriculture a range of possibilities, but accessibility varies significantly between operations.
Solar may be widely worth investigating because of Arizona's abundant sunlight, while agrivoltaics offers an emerging way to combine agriculture and solar production. Wind depends heavily on location, biomass depends on available materials and scale, and hydropower and geothermal energy require specific site conditions.
There is no universal answer.
Instead, alternative energy provides another set of tools for producers to evaluate based on their individual operations, resources and needs. As research and technology continue to advance, understanding both the potential benefits and the limitations of these options can help Arizona agricultural producers make informed decisions about how energy fits into the future of their farms and ranches.
References:
Arizona Geological Survey. (2026). Geothermal.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. (2026). Salt River Project.
U.S. Department of Energy. (2021). Agrivoltaics: Solar and agriculture co-location.
U.S. Department of Energy. (2023). The potential of agrivoltaics for the U.S. solar industry, farmers, and communities.
U.S. Department of Energy. (2018). Farmer's guide to going solar.
University of Arizona. (2019). Agrivoltaics proves mutually beneficial across food, water, energy nexus.
https://news.arizona.edu/news/agrivoltaics-proves-mutually-beneficial-across-food-water-energy-nexus
University of Arizona. (2023). UArizona researchers awarded $1.2M to explore farming at existing solar power sites.
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