Press Release: NJBPU Opens Highly Anticipated Dual-Use Solar Program to Establish New Revenue Stream for Farmers

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Link to story at nj.gov

NJBPU Opens Highly Anticipated Dual-Use Solar Program to Establish New Revenue Stream for Farmers

Dual-Use Pilot Agricultural Solar Application Period to Open in January

TRENTON— (November 21, 2025) – The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) today voted to open the Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program (Dual-Use Pilot) application period to pre-qualified participants. The Dual-Use Pilot seeks to incorporate solar installations on designated farmland, also known as agrivoltaics – advancing a proven technology that will provide a new revenue stream for farmers across the Garden State and produce affordable in-state energy generation.

“The pilot program demonstrates our whole-of-government approach to our clean energy goals, pairing the success of solar installation with economic growth for local farmers – working collaboratively with key feedback from the communities where this will be implemented,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This partnership will allow us to continue rapidly expanding clean energy sources while allowing farmers to reap the benefits.” 

“New Jersey’s promising Dual-Use Pilot is another step taken to expand New Jersey’s already nation-leading solar portfolio,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “I’m proud we are driving economic growth in New Jersey’s farming communities – after all, they put the ‘Garden’ in the Garden State.”

“I am excited about the opportunity for our farm producers to participate in NJBPU’s Dual-Use Pilot Program,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn. “This program will help shape the future of New Jersey’s energy landscape by allowing our farmers to undertake full scale projects demonstrating how agriculture and energy production can work together on the same land.”

“New Jersey’s clean energy initiatives are strengthened through partnerships across sectors to address climate change impacts by improving the health of communities and expanding the green economy,” Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. “The opening of the new Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program ensures that our farmers – the legacy of The Garden State – are part of a robust green future.”

“Today marks a significant step forward for New Jersey’s agricultural and clean-energy sectors,” said Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak. “By launching the Dual-Use Pilot Program, we are empowering our farmers with new revenue opportunities while advancing the Garden State’s commitment to renewable energy and preservation of working farmland. This innovation ensures that our agricultural communities remain vibrant and that our energy remains sustainable.”

The application period will open on January 14, 2026 and close on February 25, 2026.

Public input was critical to the development of the Dual-Use Pilot. The NJBPU held a robust stakeholder process to develop the Dual-Use Pilot in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program (RAP) at Rutgers University. The Dual-Use Pilot will generate research results needed to inform a permanent program, which may include standards for construction and operation of dual-use projects.

Expanding solar generation in the state remains a core component of New Jersey’s overall energy affordability and economic development agenda. As of August 2025, nearly 223,000 New Jersey homes and businesses have installed solar arrays, totaling over 5.2 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, which has more than doubled in the last seven years. Additionally, there is an estimated 1.3 GW of additional solar in the pipeline – on average, enough electricity to power roughly 195,000 New Jersey households. The solar industry supports approximately 7,000 jobs in the state and is the fastest and cheapest source of new energy generation to get onto the grid.

For more information about the Dual-Use Pilot Program, please visit the website and see the guidance document for farmers.

Also see the Board Order here.

Media Contact: Alonza Robertson (609) 913-6237; Alonza.Robertson@bpu.nj.gov

About the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)

NJBPU is a state agency and regulatory authority mandated to ensure safe, adequate and proper utility services at reasonable rates for New Jersey customers. Critical services regulated by NJBPU include natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications and cable television. The Board has general oversight and responsibility for monitoring utility service, responding to consumer complaints, and investigating utility accidents. To find out more about NJBPU, visit our website at www.nj.gov/bpu.  

About New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP)

NJCEP, established on January 22, 2003, in accordance with the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act (EDECA), provides financial and other incentives to the State’s residential customers, businesses and schools that install high-efficiency or renewable energy technologies, thereby reducing energy usage, lowering customers’ energy bills and reducing environmental impacts. The program is authorized and overseen by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and its website is www.NJCleanEnergy.com.