US President Donald Trump sailed into the White House on a tide of cash from his fossil energy donors. However, he and they have been caught napping. The global renewable energy transition is still gathering steam and expanding into new areas…

…The next step is to introduce farming activities between the rows of solar panels. That’s a win-win for solar development on marginal lands, where the beneficial impact of partial shade can introduce, or re-introduce, farming to areas that were previously unproductive…

…Trump made a lot of promises to farmers on his way to the White House, but instead they got market-killing tariffs, crippling inflation, and worker shortages alongside a fresh wave of climate impacts. The income from solar leases can be a lifeline for struggling farmers, crops or no crops…

…“At the 310 MW Zhundong project, this platform improved alfalfa yields beneath panels by 20% while cutting irrigation demand by 15%,” the company states.

“In Anhui’s Jinzhai pilot upgrade, motorized adjustable mounts boosted camellia oilseed yields by 30% and raised solar efficiency by 8%, achieving genuine ‘dual harvests’ of agriculture and energy,” they add…