TableofContents OurTeam 2 ExecutiveSummary 3 Introduction 4 HistoricalContext 6 HistoryofExtractionIndustriesintheNavajoNation 7 HistoryofAgriculturalActivityintheNavajoNation 10 TheDibe’NiTsaaEnergyProject 11 ProposalDetails 11 Interviews 13 TheBenefitsofAgrivoltaics 15 Conclusion 21 1
OurTeam 2
In collaboration with Nonabah Lane of Navajo Power, our analysis has focused on framing the proposed project as a culturally relevant and competitive business model. Extendingbeyondthe traditional solar perspective, the concept of agrivoltaics provides an opportunity to integrate culturally relevant components into the project and promote a sustainable farming model that appreciates the value of NAPI land as a source for food and water. Our team presents findings from literature researchandinterviewsexploringhowcombiningsolar,agricultureandrotational sheep grazing can enhance the project’s financial competitiveness, such asthroughcostsavings, aswellasculturalvalue.WearguethatNavajoPower’sproposedprojectwillprovideuniqueand salient benefits to the Navajo communities in a time of critical and delicateenergytransitionon thereservation.
ExecutiveSummary
While extractive energy industries such as coal have played a critical role in drivingtheNavajo Nation’s economyfordecades,closuresofcoalminesandcoal-firedpowerplantsareandwillbe coming at the cost of local employment, revenue, energy sources, and other services in the region. Navajo Power, a Public Benefits Corporation with a majority Native board, strives to empower communities on the Navajo Nation through development of clean energy projects. In 2021, Navajo Power proposed a commercial solar project on reclaimed mine landownedbythe Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI) and is currently competing to secure a lease for the land. A unique feature of the proposal is its focus on agrivoltaics, which seeks to combine solarphotovoltaicswithagricultureandpotentiallyrotationalsheepgrazing.
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Navajo Power’s proposal, submitted in December 2021, includes a project diligence plan that outlines next steps for the project. A unique feature of the proposal is its focus on agrivoltaics, which seeks to combine solar photovoltaics with agriculture. In doing so, the proposal will promote a sustainable farming model that appreciates the value of NAPI land as a source for food and water. Theintegrationofasolarprojectonagriculturallandhasanadditionalbenefitof4
In the Four Corners area of the Navajo Nation, located in western New Mexico, the planned closure of coal mines and coal-fired power plants by 2030 is coming at the cost of local employment, revenue, energy sources, and other services. A major point of contention hasbeen the influence of outside voices, especially environmental activists, in promoting the closure of these coal operations that have supported Navajo employees and the local chapter. Navajo Power, a Public Benefits Corporation, is working tofacilitateatransitiontorenewableenergyin the Navajo Nation. With a majority Native board primarily from the Navajo Nation plus an additional member coming from the Turtle Mountain Band oftheChippewas NavajoPoweris composed of energy and finance experts that have committed to empowering Native people through clean energy projects. Specifically, Navajo Power is currently seeking to lease Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI) land for a commercial solar project. The project will specificallytakeplaceonreclaimedmineland,withpotentialforexpansiontonearbylandareas.
Introduction
Navajo Power is currently in their Phase I mission, which is described as an economic upgrade from coal to renewables through solar and storage projects on the Navajo Nation. Specifically, Navajo Power is incompetitionwithotherorganizationsthatareseekingtousethelandforsolar energy, helium, and fossil fuel activities, and is still negotiating a potential project with NAPI.
IncollaborationwithNonabahLane,NavajoPower’sDirectorofDevelopment,ourteamfocuses on framing Navajo Power’s proposed project as a culturally relevant and competitive business model. The project aims to reduce costs associated with NAPI’s current energy use by as much as20to40%byprovidingcheaperonsiteelectricity Specifically,NavajoPower’smainpriorities inenergysavingsareirrigationandfoodstorage,andsothesolarprojectwillneedtooperateata rate lower than NAPI’s current providers. Navajo Power currently has a solar financial model that could be expanded with revenues and costs associated with agrivoltaics, likely enabling a more competitive rate. Lastly, because of federal doctrine, the project must also meet water use requirements to avoid additional costs from the U.S. government. Ourteamconductedresearch through literature reviews and interviews exploring how combining solar, agriculture and rotational sheep grazing can enhance the project’s financial competitiveness and cultural appeal andincreasebenefitstothelocalcommunity.
lowering the cost of a land lease, as agricultural leases tend to be among the lowest possible to establishsuchaproject.
The concept of agrivoltaics also provides an opportunity to integrate culturally relevant components to the project. In addition to energy savings for farming activitiessuchasirrigation and food storage, we explore here the possibility of rotational sheep grazing as part of land use for the solar project. By involving culturally important animals into the grazing plan, as wellas enhancing NAPI’s agricultural operations, Navajo Power will be proposing a uniquely sustainableandbeneficialNavajoprojectascomparedtotheircompetitors.
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The Navajo reservation was established in 1868 through the signing of the 1868 Treaty (Naal Tsoos Sani, “Old Paper”), ending the internment of the Navajo People in the Bosque Redondo reservation.1 From 1868 to 1934, the Navajo Reservation would expand significantly through a series of executive orders; today, the Navajo Nation spans 27,000 square miles, much greater than the original areaof5,200squaremiles.2 AlthoughNavajolandsgrewoverthisperiod,some lands were lost in 1887, when the Dawes Act was passed as anationallawtodividetriballands into allotments for individualfamilies.Easternreservationlandsweredividedintoallotmentsfor Navajo families, with unassigned land sold to non-Native landowners.3 Importantly, while allottees were given the title to land, these allotments would still be held in federal trust; allotments were separate from Navajo reservation land, but were still considered “Indian country” for the purposes of federal law.4 Today, the mix of private, state, and federal land ownershipintheeasternNavajoNationisknownasthe“checkerboardarea.” Understanding the region’s history is a critical context for Navajo Power’s efforts. Here, we explore the relevant history of the Navajo Nation regarding extractive energy industry activities and agricultural projects. Specifically, we describe how the declining coal industry comes at significant cost to the economy while also setting the stage for greater reliance on clean 4 FindLaw. PITTSBURG MIDWAY COAL MINING COMPANY v. United States of America; Ray Powell, Commissioner of Public Lands for the State of New Mexico; Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Company; Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation; New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, Amici Curiae, 1995 https://caselawfindlawcom/us 10th circuit/1086683html 3 VanderbiltLawReview. Retelling Allotment: Indian Property Rights and the Myth of Common Ownership, 2001.
2 ArcGISStoryMaps. The Lands of Navajo Nation, 2020. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/71ce3cb86e5442f4aeb91f198e59872c
1 American Indian Magazine Naal Tsoos Saní (The Old Paper): The Navajo Treaty of 1868, Nation Building and Self Determination, 2018.https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/naal tsoos sani 6
HistoricalContext
The discovery of oil in 1921 outside of Aztec, New Mexico marked the beginning of the extraction industry’s presence on Navajo lands.5 Although thetribalgovernmentwasresistantto the idea of leasing land to oil companies, in 1922 the Secretary of the Interior stated that tribal lands created by Executive Order were available to oil companies through federal ownership of the land. The Bureau of Indian Affairs would continue to maintain a critical role in leasing Navajoland,includinglandallottedforindividualfamilies,throughthedoctrineoffederaltrust. Following the arrival of the oil industry, the first leases to coal companies were issued in 1957, leading to the establishment of the Navajo Mine and, three years later, the Four Corners Power Plant in the northeastern part of the Navajo Nation.6 Since then,coalhasplayedaninstrumental part in the local economy: the Four Corners Power Plant currently operates with an employee base that is roughly 80% Native, providing a $100 million annual payroll, with an average annual salary of over $100,000.78 An additional $100 million is paid in taxes and fees, much of which is paid to the tribal government. Our partner, Nonabah, described how employees of the mine advocated for time to be reserved for spiritual practice during the workday, which was especiallyimportantbecauseoftheextractionofnaturalresourcestheywereparticipatingin.
electricity sources. We also establish a history of significant agricultural activity that makes agrivolticsanidealprojectdesigninthiscontextgoingforward. History of Extraction Industries in the Navajo Nation
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Navajo Mine https://navenergycom/navajo/ 7AZCentral New Mexico panel considers future of coal fired power plant, 2021 https://wwwazcentralcom/story/money/business/energy/2021/08/30/new mexico panel considers future of four cor ners power plant/5660944001/ 6 SanJuanCitizensAlliance Timeline: FCPP/Navajo Mine Complex, 2016 https://wwwsanjuancitizensorg/wp content/uploads/2016/04/FCPP Historic Timeline 04202016pdf 5 RiverofLostSouls How oil and greed led to the 1923 centralization of Navajo government, 2016 https://riveroflostsouls com/2016/12/21/how oil and greed led to the 1923 centralization of navajo government/ 7
https://wwwutilitydivecom/news/apss plan for closing coal plants could be a gamechanger analysts say bu/59146
https://wwwapscom/en/About/Our Company/Newsroom/Articles/aps announces plans for seasonal operations at f our corners power plant 9 Bloomberg TheEndofCoalWillHaunttheNavajo,2017
Due to acombinationofenvironmentalregulations,competitionwithcheaperelectricitysources, and supply-chain issues, coal companies across theNavajoNationhavebeenforcedtoreduceor shut down operations since the 2000s. The largest power plant in the Navajo Nation, Navajo Generating Station, closed in 2019 along with its coal source, the Kayenta Mine. With an average salary of $141,500, employees were not only supported economically, but through investments in local infrastructure and free coal for Native residents during winter months, similar tothecontributionsoftheFourCornersPowerPlant.9 Atthetime,theNavajoGenerating Station was the largest operating power plant in the Western United States, and had become a majorsourceofeconomicprosperityforlocalNavajoandHopicommunities.
In March 2021, Arizona Public Service published its pledge to transition to carbon-free energy by 2050, which included planned closure of the Four Corners Power Plantby2031.10 Aspartof its “Just Transition Plan,” Navajo and Hopi communities would receive $144 million for “community assistance” paid over the course of up to ten years; however, no plans have been announced to establish renewable energy projectsintheseareas.11 PublicServiceCompanyNew Mexico, which has a 13% ownership stake in the plant, has been seeking to exit the plant by 2024 by transferring its share to the Navajo-owned Navajo Transitional Energy Company in hopes of maintaining a future for the plant; inDecember2021,thetransferwasblockedbyNew Mexico regulators, a move that was supported by environmental activists wishing to accelerate 11UtilityDive APS’s plan for closing coal plants could be a gamechanger, analysts say, but who will pay?, 2020
https://wwwbloombergcom/news/features/2017
8/ 10APS APS announces plans for seasonal operations at Four Corners Power Plant, 2021
10 13/the end of coal will haunt the navajo 8
PRC denies PNM Four Corners coal plant exit, 2021 denies pnm four corners coal plant exithtml 9
https://wwwabqjournalcom/2454764/prc
Lucinda explained that the local chapter worked with coal companiestoprovidepost-secondary scholarships for Navajo students and local infrastructure. As president, she requested Navajo Mine to provide street lights for an obscured road, which continues to be maintained by the company today. Lucinda expressed a feeling of empowerment by working with the coal companies for the benefit of the community, which she contrasted to stereotypes of Native people as being lazy or accepting handouts. She shared her frustrations with environmental
Meeting with Lucinda Bennalley As part of our background for the project, Nonabah arranged our meeting with Lucinda Bennalley, former president and vice president of the local Nenahnezad chapter, which is located within the Four Corners area. During our meeting, she recounted the story of the coal industryinthelocalarea,beginningwiththeestablishmentofthe first coal lease. Her own family had relinquished their grazing land for the establishment of the mine and NAPI. Lucinda’s grandfather, Hasteen Yellowman, was the community’s first Navajo Nationcouncildelegate,andadvocatedfordevelopmentbecauseofthepotentialforjobs.
12 AlbuquerqueJournal
the closure of the plant.12 Starting in 2023, the plant will be operating one of its two units seasonallyasameanstotransitiontofullclosure. A drivingforceofplantandmineclosureshavebeenduetotheeffortsofenvironmentalactivists over concerns about the environmental and health impacts of using coalforenergy Ourpartner, Nonabah, shared her experiences with some of these activists; many were non-Native andoften spoke negatively of tribal communities that continued to operate mines and power plants. Even Native activists are sometimes viewed with suspicion for speaking on behalf of communities to promote the closure of plants and mines without contributing to a viable alternative for the energyproductionandeconomicbenefitthatthecoalindustryhadbrought.
https://wwwtheceomagazinecom/executive interviews/agriculture
https://wwwfarmprogresscom/navajo
Alongside the extractive energy industry activity, there have also been major farming and agricultural developmentsonandaroundNavajoNationreservation,includingtheNavajoIndian Irrigation Project (NIIP), one of the largest Native American agricultural developments in the U.S.13 NIIP provides irrigation to over 100,000 acresoffarmland,whereavarietyofcropsgrow such as grains, alfalfa, corn, pinto beans, and potatoes.14 NIIP brings water from the Navajo Lake, created on San Juan RiverbytheNavajoDam,southwestthroughasubstantialnetworkof canals and laterals. In 1962, the U.S. federal government authorized the Secretary of Interior through legislation PL 87-483 to develop this project, and construction began in 1964. In 1970, the Navajo Nation Council created the NavajoAgriculturalProductsIndustry(NAPI)tomanage and operate the NIIP, which is the largest continually irrigated farm in the United States.15 The NIIP territory is divided into 11 locks, each approximately 10,000 acres in size. Importantly, while the majority of land is operated by NAPI, some of this land is leased to external parties, whichprovidesthiscurrentopportunityforNavajoPower. Feeding a nation: Dave Zeller,2021 farming/dave zeller/ Navajo Agricultural Products Industry a farming success in New Mexico, 2006 agricultural products industry farming success new mexico
activists, and apprehension at alternatives to coal, which she felt was efficient and a part of faithfulstewardshipoftheland. Our meeting with Lucinda provided extremely important and personal context for our work on the project. Given the complex history of coal in the Four Corners area, we recognized the importance of our project to be led by cultural sensitivity and awareness of the legacy of coal whileworkingtowardsrenewableenergyontheNavajoNation.
13 NAPI History https://napinavajopridecom/history/ 10
History of Agricultural Activity in the Navajo Nation
16 16NAPI History 15 CEOMagazine
14 FarmProgress
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Navajo PowersubmittedaninitialproposaltoNAPIonDecember9,2021tobeginanine-month exclusivity period for Navajo Power to develop a complete project design for a solar projecton NAPI land. The proposal sought to establish a 400 MWac solar power project through a partnership between Navajo Power and NAPI, with the intention to pursue a power purchase agreement for Navajo Power to sell output to Public Service Company New Mexico in the future. 2,200 acresofNAPIlandwereidentifiedasaviablesitefortheproject,withpotentialfor expansionofupto6,300acresofadditionalland. The motivation for this project is derived fromtheenergydemandNAPIexperiencesbecauseof irrigation and food storage, which are among the major uses of energy in NAPI operations and thus large expenses. Bygeneratingenergyonthesite,outputcouldbereservedandsoldtoNAPI at a lower cost than energy provided offsite, for example with avoided transmission costs. Additionally, due to issues with tribal water rights, the Department of the Interior enforces the use of water allocated for NAPI to operate the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project; NAPI is currently using less than the allocated amount, leading to charges incurred by the federal governmentforinefficientuseofwater.
TheDibe’NiTsaaEnergyProject Proposal Details
In Navajo Power’sinitialproposal,agrivoltaics thesimultaneoususeoflandforagricultureand solar power was listed as a potential benefit for the development of the Dibe’ Ni Tsaa energy project. In early meetings with Nonabah, we identified the need for further research into12
Figure 1 Navajo Power’s Dibe’ Ni Tsaa Energy project would take place on a fully reclaimed portion of the Navajo Mine, next to the Four Corners Power Plant Source: Navajo Power From our meetings with Nonabah, we learned that Navajo Power is competing with other organizations to use NAPI’sland.TheNavajoleadershipinNavajoPowerprovidesanimportant advantage through their knowledge of the cultural, legal, and historical contexts of the landand energy use. This knowledge provided an important direction for our own work in order to properlyvalueNAPI’slandinaculturallyrelevantway
agrivoltaics, especially because of the cost savings of pursuing an agricultural land lease as opposedtoanindustrialleasewithNAPI. In the context of the Dibe’ Ni Tsaa Energy project, agriculture could be involved in two ways: firstly, by growing crops under solar panels, and secondly, by using the land for the project for rotational grazing of sheep. In addition to a literature review of the history of coal and Navajo agriculture, our team’s key findings centered around agrivoltaics and thepotentialbenefitsofan agriculturally-centeredsolarproject.
Interviews Meetings with Adel Barrett. Adel is the Director of Development and Financial Modeling at Navajo Power, where she manages the financial models for projects; Adel has extensive experience in financial planning for solar projects, and had already estimated initial costs associated with the project based on her previous experience. We met with Adel multiple times over the course of the semester to discuss Navajo Power’s financial strategy and data needs in the planning of the project. Adel reviewed with us atemplateforfinancialplanningthatshehad used in previous projects, which will be used for the development of the project. She explained that Navajo Power would need to optimize the capital costs and operating expenses in the financial model in order to achieve a power purchase agreement (PPA) priceofroughly$35per Megawatt-hour, although recent supply-chain issues have increased costs. In order to optimize the price of energy sold from the project, and to achieve significant cost savings for NAPI, she explained that capital costs and operational costs from an agrivoltaics component could be consideredandfurtherresearched,aswellaspotentialrevenuefromagriculturaluseoftheland.13
Meeting with Lionel Haskie. LionelistheOperationsandMaintenanceManagerforNAPI,andis very familiar with the land for this project and the proposal from Navajo Power. In preparation for the meeting, LionelsentourteamandNavajoPoweradirectoryoffilesthatincludedNAPI’s electrical bills, laws governing the maintenance of the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project, and a complete map of NAPI’sirrigationnetwork.Theelectricalbillsconsistedofover200megabytes of PDF scans of monthly bills from 2015 to 2022, organized by energy provider and specific NAPI facilities. Notably, some of these bills do not include energy consumption, so further extrapolation is needed for Navajo Power to collect complete and accurate data for the project. Further work is unfortunately needed to sift through the data and systematically record NAPI’s monthlyenergyconsumptionandcosts. During our meeting, Lionel gave us a virtual tour of NAPI’s irrigation system through Google Earth,whereheexplainedthedifferentsizesofwaterpumpsacrossNAPI’slandthatareusedfor the Navajo Indian IrrigationProject.Lionelalsogaveanextensiveoverviewofthecropsthatare grown on NAPI land: 2,000 acres are used for corn, 3,000 are used for potatoes, 6,000 usedfor wheat, 18,000 for alfalfa, and an additional 12,000 are contracted through lease agreements to independent crop growers. He particularly discussed the importance of driving down irrigation costs on NAPI land and increasing water efficiency, and was excited to hear that a solar developmentmightprovidesuchdesiredsavingsinthelongterm. 14
In order to ensure that the project is competitive, AdelexplainedthatNavajoPowerwouldneed to identify one of NAPI’s existing energy sources thatcouldbereplacedbythesolarprojectata comparable or lowerrate.Tothisend,dataonNAPI’senergyuseandcostscouldbecollectedby analyzingtheirmonthlyelectricalbills,whichwereprovidedinlateAprilbyLionelHaskie.
17 GimletMedia. Sheep + Solar, A Love Story, 2021.https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet/39hgkba
Here, we explore the numerous benefits of combining solar with agriculture and sheep, i.e., sheep agrivoltaics. This idea involves rotational sheep grazing on farmland alongside solar photovoltaics arrays and is a concept that has been practiced in New York, California, North Carolina, Europe, and other locations
TheBenefitsofAgrivoltaics
17 . Through a literature review of agrivoltaics projects and case studies and an interview with a leading sheep agrivoltaics expert, our team researched the keyconsiderationsforintegratingagricultureintotheDibe’NiTsaaEnergyproject.
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19 Earth Refuge The Navajo Nation: A Case Study on Food Colonialism and Environmental Justice, 2021 https://earthrefugeorg/the navajo nation a case study on food colonialism and environmental justice/ 18 CensusofAgriculture American Indian/Alaska Native Producers, 2017 https://wwwnassusdagov/Publications/Highlights/2019/2017Census
Cultural Value. The Navajo Nation has a long history of agriculture, especially so in the Four Corners area. Before NAPI and theNavajoMinewereestablished,thelandwasusedforgrazing of livestock for Navajo farmers such as Lucinda’s grandfather. Nonabah herself comes from a family that maintains an educational farm in the Four Corners area, Navajo Ethno-Agriculture, which provides education on traditional Navajo farming. NAPI land is located in San Juan County, New Mexico, which has 2,091 farms operated by Native producers, representing the third highest number across the United States.18 Agriculture in the Navajo Nation has been maintained despite a variety of challenges, and has become an increasingly important theme in establishing food sovereignty on the reservation.19 In our meetingswithNonabah,sheexpressed that an agricultural component of the project could provide a unique way to appeal totheboard ofNAPI.
AmericanIndianAlaskaNative Producerspdf
22NewMexicoStateUniversity
TheChristianScienceMonitor
Reviving Navajo identity, one sheep at a time, 2022 https://wwwcsmonitorcom/USA/Society/2022/0407/Reviving Navajo identity one sheep at a time 20 SlowFoodFoundationforBiodiversity Navajo Churro Sheep
https://wwwfondazioneslowfoodcom/en/slow food presidia/navajo churro sheep/ 16
Sheep grazing is an especially appealing aspect from a cultural standpoint. Nonabahproposeda rotational grazing model in whichthelandcouldbegrazedtwiceayearwithSuffolkandNavajo Churro sheep in rotation. Sheep are the most prominent form oflivestockinNavajoagriculture, and are an integral part of Navajo culture and identity The Churro sheep inparticularhasfaced extinction duringtheinternmentofNavajosinthe1860sand“livestockreduction”campaignsby the federal government in the 1930s; the effortsoftheNavajopeopletomaintainandrestorethe breed have allowed the sheep to survive today.20 Churro sheep are valuable both as a healthy food source and for their wool, which is used in traditional Navajo blanket weaving. Flocks of Churro sheep are still beingmaintainedinanefforttofurtherrevitalizethebreedanditsvalueas a form of healing from the attempts of theUSgovernmenttoexterminatethebreed.21 Thesheep have been described as another way that the Navajo are achieving sovereignty because of its abilitytoprovidebothfoodandincomeforNavajopeople. Additionally, because the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center (NMSU ASC) at Farmington is located near NAPI land, there is an opportunity for Navajo students to engage in research and training in the growing field of agrivoltaics. NMSU has launched an initiative specifically focused on the food, energy, and water nexus, which provides a unique opportunity for NMSU ASC and NAPI to engage in a mutually beneficial partnership through educationalprogramsforstudents.22
Nexus program taps into NMSU expertise to solve food, energy and water challenges, 2021 https://newsnmsuedu/2021/06/nexus program taps into nmsu expertise to solve food energy and water challenges html 21
Logistical and Financial Value. Ourresearchcenteredaroundtheaddedbenefitofagrivoltaicsin logistical and financial planning of the Dibe’ Ni Tsaa Energy project. A study performedbythe National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the Arizona drylands foundthatgrowingcropsunder solar panels can provide mutual benefitsbetweenfood,energy,andwater 23 Throughtheshading provided by solar panels, soilmoisturewasincreasedby5%to15%,ensuringthatirrigationwas more efficient. Overall water use efficiency and food production increases varied by crop type; compared to control treatment, chiltepin fruit production was tripled, jalapeño water use efficiency was 157% greater, and cherry tomato production was doubled with 65% greater water-use efficiency. Additionally, crops were able to keep solar panels cooler: solar panels located above crops were about 9℃ cooler than the control group, whichreducestheamountof energy lost by solar panels to heat. Increased energy efficiency can result in up to 10% more overall energy output, which could provide substantial revenue through the sale of surplus energy.24 These findings have been supported by other studies performed in a variety of environments, but the similarity in climate makes the NREL study particularly relevant to consider.25,26,27,28
Growing crops on NAPI land could involve the leasing of land to independent growers, which would provide an additional revenue stream through land lease agreements; alternatively, NAPI 28 PlosOne Remarkable agrivoltaic influence on soil moisture, micrometeorology and water use efficiency, 2018 https://journalsplosorg/plosone/article?id=101371/journalpone0203256 OneEarth A town in India is using solar panels to protect crops, 2022 https://wwwoneearthorg/town in india using solar panels to protect crops/ PVTech The yin and yang of Agri PV: Bringing together the best of both worlds, 2021 https://wwwpv techorg/the yin and yang of agri pv bringing together the best of both worlds/ PVMagazine Novel plant design for agrivoltaics, 2021 https://wwwpv magazinecom/2021/08/05/novel plant design for agrivoltaics/ OregonStateUniversity Sustainable Farm Agrivoltaic https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/newsroom/sustainable farm agrivoltaic Nature Agrivoltaicsprovidemutualbenefitsacrossthefood energy waternexusindrylands,2019 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893 019 0364 5#Sec6
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Meeting with Lewis Fox. Lewis is the Founder and Partner at Agrivoltaic Solutions, LLC, providing sheep grazing and other vegetation maintenance services throughout theNortheastern US. He was able to share about his work and how itmightapplytotheNAPIproject,aswellas how considerations around grazing might be different in these different regions. By the end of our call, Nonabah and Lewis both expressed interest in continuing through a potential
Depending on the climate, sheep grazing offers different benefits to solar projects; forexample, in areas withhighplantgrowth,sheepgrazingcanreduceoperationandmaintenancecostsbyup to 75% and increase solar output by preventing the shading of panels by vegetation.29 Not only would such grazing be beneficial for solar generation, but it canimprovethehealthofthesheep as well as the soil.30 In drier climates such as New Mexico, sheep can play critical roles in reducing wildfire risk, as discussed more below. A study performed by Temple University researchers found that a site grazed by 500 to 700 sheepcanincreasenutrientfixationofsoil,in addition to sequesteringuptoonetonofcarbonperyear.31 Oncesheephavesufficientlygrazeda certain patch of vegetation, shepherds can rotate them to more overgrown sections, providing a steady food source for the sheep and continual maintenance for the solar panels. Solutionsexist toprotectsheepfrompredators,suchassolarpoweredelectricfences.32
32 GimletMedia Sheep + Solar, A Love Story,2021 31 TempleUniversity Managed sheep grazing can improve soil quality and carbon sequestration at solar photovoltaic sites, 2022 https://scholarsharetempleedu/handle/2050012613/7254
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30 GimletMedia Sheep + Solar, A Love Story,2021 29 TownofMountMorris Mount MOrris Agrivoltaic Study, 2021 https://townofmtmorriscom/wp content/uploads/2021/11/MountMorris AgrivoltaicReport2021 WEBpdf
could grow additional crops on the land and produce revenue by selling the crops grown under solar Alternativelypanels., some land on the project area can be used for rotational grazing of sheep.
partnership with Agrivoltaic Solutions, and we hope that we haveestablishedthebeginningofa working partnership. Lewis also knowsofseveralpeopledoingsimilarworkinthesouthwestern US (particularly around Tucson, Arizona), and plans to send potential contacts in the region to ThroughNonabah.our meeting with Lewis, we were able to determine some key considerations basedon his experience with consultinginprojectsaroundCaliforniaandWestTexas.Inthesouthwestern climate, sheep grazing can generate $100 to $200peracreannually,withabout1sheepperacre, which is lower than rates intheEasternUnitedStatesduetothedrierclimate.Intermsofcapital costs for investment, operation and maintenance would range from $50 to $150 per acre annually, withadditionalinvestmentneededtopreparetheareaforgrazing.Lewisidentifiedfour areas needed for planning of the project: (1) water supply and transport, which would be significantly reduced by NAPI’s existing water supply, (2) perimeter fencing, which would require a “predatorwrap”tobeappliedtothebottomofthefencetopreventpredatorstodiginto the site, (3) interior dividing fences for rotational grazing, which would be most cost effective when installed permanently rather than through temporary fencing installed yearly, and (4)wire control, which would be organized through collector lines and racking in ordertopreventsheep from being caught in cables on the site. Overall, Lewis estimated less than $100,000 capital investment, whichismuchlessthanthe$216,000,000incapitalcostsalreadyassociatedwiththe Lewisproject.also offered insight into the logistical benefits of solar grazing: overgrowth and maintenance savings may not be as significant given the drier climate; instead, the primary benefit of sheep grazingwouldbereducedriskofwildfirebyconsumingdriedvegetation,which couldbeappealinggiventheincreasingriskofwildfireintheWesternUnitedStates. 19
33UniversityofArizona UArizona Partners on $10M USDA Grant to Expand Research on Growing Crops Under Solar Panels, 2021 https://newsarizonaedu/story/uarizona partners 10m usda grant expand research growing crops under solar panels 20
35 AmericanSolarGrazingAssociation Recommendations https://solargrazingorg/recommendations/ 34 Engineeringcom Agrivoltaics Provide Food, Power and Money: A Triple Win, 2021 https://wwwengineeringcom/story/agrivoltaics provide food power and money a triple win
Potential Contacts In addition to our review of agrivoltaics, we have identified potentially useful contacts working onagrivoltaicsprojectsintheregion.
Chad Higgins. Dr. Higgins is a professor at Oregon State University, where he is studying the economic benefits of agrivoltaics to rural communities.34 His research includes savings associated with on-site energy, revenue due to the sale of surplus energy, as well as the generationofjobs,whichisespeciallyrelevanttoNavajoPower’svalues.
American Solar Grazing Association. The American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) is a national organization seeking to organize those interested in grazing sheep on solar energy sites by facilitating connections, research, and support.35 Their website provides a helpful map of existing solar grazing sites, relevant research initiatives, and guides forsolardevelopersseeking to establish agrivoltaics projects. Lewis Fox is a founding board member, providing Navajo Poweranimmediateconnection.
Greg Barron-Gafford. Dr Barron-Gafford is a professor at University of Arizona, and the leading author of the previously referenced National Renewables Energy Laboratory study on agrivoltaics in Arizona. Currently, he is leading the SCAPES project with research sites in Arizona, Colorado, and Illinois to identify optimal agrivoltaics designs for crop growth across differentclimates.
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Conclusion A transition away from coal on the Navajo Nation poses significant challenges given the important role the industry has played in driving the localeconomy,fromprovidingwellpaying jobs to academic scholarships and infrastructure development. Navajo Power’s mission to facilitate a transition to clean energy while delivering benefits to Navajo communities is critically important to mitigating losses from a declining coal industry. We argue that the Dibe’ Ni Tsaa Energy Project would provide uniqueandsalientbenefitstothelocalareabyleveraging plentiful solar resources and integrating culturally relevant agricultural components that further would increase the economic competitiveness of the project. In this report, we examined the important historical contexts surrounding energy and agricultural activities in Navajo Nation,as well as described research and interviews demonstrating how solar, agriculture, and sheep grazing can each benefit each other. We believe this projectwouldnotonlybeanimportantstep forward fortheNavajoNationbutenableNavajoPowertoserveasaleaderbyprovidinganovel exampleforothercommunitiesthroughouttheU.S.andtheworldtofollow.
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