POLLINATORS, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT TO GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEMS AND ECONOMICALLY LINKED TO LOCAL AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES, ARE DECLINING GLOBALLY DUE TO LAND-COVER CHANGE AND LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IS A DRIVER OF A LAND-USE CHANGE THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO EITHER REDUCE OR PROMOTE POLLINATOR HABITAT. TO DATE, POLLINATORS ARE THE MOST WIDELY ADDRESSED WILDLIFE GROUP IN SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT (E.G., THROUGH STATE POLLINATOR HABITAT SCORECARDS FOR SOLAR FACILITIES). YET, MANY QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT POLLINATOR-SOLAR ENERGY INTERACTIONS, REQUIRING RESEARCH THAT TESTS OBSERVATIONS AND DEFINES POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY SOLAR.
$1,770,000FY2023Department of EnergyDOE
Cornell University, Ithaca NY