UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – In November 2018, Pennsylvania adopted a Solar Future Plan to increase the state’s solar energy generation 10% by the year 2030. This will require the use of large land areas that are often in competition with other uses, particularly agricultural production. This competition will put pressure on farmers and agricultural landowners to navigate the ethical and logistical tensions of integrating solar photovoltaics on their land, as well as how such projects will impact the broader community and landscape.

Kaitlyn Spangler, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geography at Penn State, will deliver the talk "Towards solar justice in Pennsylvania: tensions of land, farming, and power" at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10. The talk, which is free and open to the public, takes place in 112 Walker Building and via Zoom.

Spangler’s talk is part of the fall 2022 EESI EarthTalks series, “Exploring the Multiple Dimensions of Solar Energy.” Using both a local and global scope, the series addresses the latest perspectives on policies, environmental management, and the technological advancements toward the dual use, and social and cultural implications, of solar energy.

The EESI EarthTalks series is supported by Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. Talks also are available via Zoom. Visit the fall 2022 EarthTalks website to learn more.