A Brighter North: Alaska's First Agrivoltaics Project Is Advancing Food and Energy Security

Solar Farms: Harvesting Clean Energy and Fresh Produce

Alaska's 8.5-megawatt Houston Solar Farm first came online in 2023, supplying electricity for roughly 1,400 homes and creating more than 30 local construction jobs. 

The project was engineered specifically for high-latitude, snowy conditions, with bifacial panels to capture light reflected off winter snowpack. The panels are also elevated and steeply tilted to shed snow, and rows are spaced wider than usual to facilitate tractors and avoid self-shading from the low sun. leaving tractor-width corridors in between. Most importantly, the corridors are not wasted space, they’re the foundation for an agrivoltaics research station. 

Agrivoltaics under the midnight sun. The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and partners are running one of the world’s farthest-north agrivoltaics studies inside the Houston array. In 2025, the team grew kale, spinach, potatoes, and a winter-rye cover crop while monitoring native berries (e.g., lingonberry and blueberry) in plots located near, mid-row, and outside the panels. Early findings show soils near panels stay moister and cooler—conditions that may slow bolting in leafy greens and influence yields. Full yield results follow the 2025 harvest. 

Why this matters

Alaska imports about 95% of its food. The Houston site’s wide row spacing creates room for the co-production of energy and crops, helping the state test practical ways to produce more food locally without sacrificing clean power. 

Specific benefits of this project include:

1. Better microclimates and water management: Panels buffer wind, reduce peak solar stress, and help soil retain moisture—particularly useful during long, bright summer days. Early findings show soils near panels stay moister and cooler which, for moisture-sensitive greens like spinach, can delay bolting and extend harvest windows. 

2. Extending what—and where—you can grow: Houston’s research explicitly leverages the larger corridors, testing commercial crops (kale, spinach, potatoes) and evaluating cover crops/forage mixes for northern farms. The team is also studying shade tolerance and berry productivity to guide farmers on which species thrive best under panels.

3. Preserving native habitat while adding farm value:  Project managers minimized site disturbance using low-mulch practices that preserved topsoil and low-growing woody shrubs. Native boreal species, including culturally essential blueberries and lingonberries, remain part of the landscape, supporting biodiversity, pollinators, and potential “solar-grown” berry harvests alongside row crops. That approach boosts community acceptance and maintains ecological services while generating farm revenue.

4. Economics: energy + crops + resilience: For farmers, the co-location of solar panels with crops can lower energy costs add a second revenue stream (power sales/leases), and hedge against supply-chain shocks. 

Community and education

In 2024, the “Follow the Sun to Alaska” open house brought farmers, tribal organizations, utilities, and residents to the Houston array. Attendees learned about crop trials, picked lingonberries between rows, and discussed how agrivoltaics can strengthen both food and energy security. This outreach is paired with stakeholder surveys to ensure the science reflects local needs and opportunities. 

Project quick facts

• Capacity: 8.5 MW (≈ power for ~1,400 homes)

• Location: City of Houston, Matanuska-Susitna Borough

• Developer: Renewable IPP (RIPP)

• Owner/Operator & Financier: CleanCapital (with an Alaska Energy Authority loan)

• Offtaker: Matanuska Electric Association (MEA)

The bottom line

Alaska’s solar farm demonstrates that northern-latitude solar can deliver reliable, cost-competitive power and support agriculture in the same footprint. By pairing tailored engineering with rigorous agronomic research, the project is creating a practical playbook for farmers and developers: growing food in the rows, harvesting energy above them, and strengthening local resilience on both fronts.