ATHENS, GA — July 18, 2026 — The Branham Group team attended the 2026 Georgia Solar Farm Summit (GASFS26), held July 15–16 at The Georgia Center on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, GA. The summit, organized by Solar Farm Summit LLC, convenes leading interdisciplinary practitioners across energy, agriculture, planning, and research to advance responsible solar development, land conservation, and farm viability.
Summit Focus: Where Solar Meets the Land
This year's summit centered on agrivoltaics (AgPV) — the intentional co-location of agriculture and solar energy systems on the same parcel of land. Key topics included:
Solar Grazing
Integrating livestock grazing with solar panel installations to manage vegetation while maintaining agricultural production.
Crop Cultivation
Growing crops beneath and between solar panels in configurations designed for dual yields.
Pollinator Habitat & Conservation
Establishing native vegetation and conservation habitats under solar arrays.
Ecovoltaics
Pairing solar development with broader ecological stewardship, including soil health, water management, and forestry protection.
Georgia's agricultural and forestry landscapes represent a $70 billion+ industry, ranking as the state's leading economic driver through poultry, peanuts, cotton, timber, and specialty crops. As utility-scale solar expands to meet growing electricity demand, the summit explored how agrivoltaics offers a framework for integrating renewable energy development with working lands — without sacrificing agricultural productivity or long-term land health.
Featured Speakers and Thought Leadership
The summit featured leading voices in agrivoltaics and land stewardship, including:
Will Harris — Owner, White Oak Pastures
A nationally recognized advocate for regenerative agriculture and real-world dual-use solar and grazing case studies.
Jordan Macknick — Senior Analyst, NREL
Lead researcher for the InSPIRE Project, a landmark study on solar and agriculture co-location.
Iain Ward — Founder, Solar Farm Summit
Convening the interdisciplinary solar + agriculture community.
Additional Experts
Practitioners from academia, utility companies, and conservation organizations.
The conversations at GASFS26 were among the most substantive we've seen on responsible solar development in the Southeast. Agrivoltaics is moving from pilot to practice — and the practitioners in that room are the ones building it.
Key Takeaways for the Solar Industry
1. Agrivoltaics Is No Longer Experimental
Sessions on solar grazing, crop production, and conservation habitat made clear that dual-use solar has crossed the threshold from research pilots to deployable, bankable projects. The InSPIRE Project and AgriSolar Clearinghouse have generated a growing body of data and technical resources supporting real-world implementation.
2. Land Stewardship Begins at Siting
Soil health, water management, and vegetation planning cannot be retrofit afterthoughts. Conservation best practices belong in the project planning and construction phases — not post-install revisions. The summit reinforced that siting decisions made today will influence how solar development interacts with working and natural landscapes for the 25–40 year lifespan of a typical project.
3. Georgia Is a Crucial Market
With the state's combination of abundant agricultural land, growing energy demand, and supportive regulatory environment, Georgia represents a pivotal opportunity — and a testing ground — for agrivoltaic deployment. Decisions made now about vegetation management, grazing agreements, and crop integration will shape the region's energy and agricultural landscape for decades.
4. Collaboration Is Non-Negotiable
The most productive sessions brought farmers, solar developers, utilities, researchers, and policymakers into the same conversation. No single stakeholder can drive agrivoltaics alone — it requires aligned incentives, shared best practices, and interdisciplinary problem-solving.
Branham Group: Built for This Moment
Founded in 1979 as a traditional general contracting firm and focused on clean energy infrastructure for over 16 years, Branham Group brings nearly five decades of infrastructure expertise to the agrivoltaics conversation. The company serves clean energy developers, utilities, and asset owners across South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida — with deep experience in both agricultural infrastructure and distributed energy.
"Our role is simple: translate the principles discussed at summits like GASFS26 into projects built to perform for decades," Jarrett Branham noted. "We bring the sound basis of design, engineering discipline, regional knowledge, and construction expertise that agrivoltaic and responsible-siting projects require."
Branham Group's integrated EPC capabilities span site development, civil construction, electrical installation, and commissioning — with a track record of delivering complex, multi-stakeholder renewable energy projects on time and on budget.
Looking Ahead
The Branham Group team left GASFS26 more confident than ever that the Southeast is ready for a new generation of solar projects — ones that work with the land, not around it.
"We're proud to be part of this conversation," the team said. "Responsible solar starts with smart siting and the right EPC partner. We're building both."
About Branham Group
Branham Group is a leading Southeast-focused Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) partner for solar energy, agricultural infrastructure, and resilient utility systems. Since 1979, the company has delivered complex infrastructure projects across the Southeast — combining deep regional expertise with a commitment to quality, safety, and sustainable land stewardship.
Contact Information
Branham Group, Inc.
11 E Wall Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Phone: 843.823.6078 | Fax: 843.604.9098