2026 Oklahoma Solar Summit: Bridging Agriculture and Renewable Energy in Stillwater - Oklahoma Farm Report
The 2026 Oklahoma Solar Summit is set to tackle one of the most pressing questions facing modern landowners: how to balance growing renewable energy infrastructure with active agricultural production. Speaking with Farm Director KC Sheperd, Clay Pope highlighted details of the upcoming event, which brings together ranchers, energy developers, and policymakers to explore practical solutions—chiefly agrivoltaics and livestock grazing.
Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, the summit will take place November 5–6 at the Oklahoma State University Alumni Center in Stillwater.
Merging Cattle Grazing with Solar Energy
While states in other regions often rely on sheep or smaller ruminants to manage vegetation around solar arrays, Pope emphasized that Oklahoma’s agricultural landscape demands a cattle-centric approach.
“Clearly if you’re going to be grazing animals, cattle are the low-hanging fruit,” Pope explained. “That’s where the focus needs to be, and that’s a lot of what we’re going to discuss in Stillwater.”
The sessions will examine the mechanics of agrivoltaics—combining agricultural production and solar power generation on the same acreage—including:
- Forage and Weight Gain: Measuring the impact of solar panels on pasture growth and livestock rates of gain.
- Heat Stress Mitigation: Using solar panels as artificial shade structures to improve herd welfare during extreme summer temperatures.
- Site Design and Engineering: Establishing array configurations that safely accommodate cattle and farm equipment.
A Forum for Landowners and Industry Leaders
With landmen actively approaching Oklahoma producers about energy leases, Pope stressed the importance of understanding available options before signing agreements. Rather than viewing solar development as an all-or-nothing proposition that takes productive land entirely out of commission, the summit aims to demonstrate how dual-use leases can sustain rural operations.
“A lot of folks, when they see those solar leases, think we’ll just go ahead and lease the land and call it a day,” Pope noted. “If you want to maintain some sort of production on that operation… we think it’s something worth having a discussion on and seeing if we can split that difference.”
Attendance Information
Attendees will include:
- Agricultural producers, ranchers, and rural landowners
- Solar energy developers and industry representatives
- State and local policymakers
- Economic development specialists
The summit program kicks off Thursday, November 5 (by invitation only on the 5th) with the main sessions concluding early in the afternoon on Friday, November 6.
Early bird registration is currently open for a limited window. Landowners and stakeholders interested in attending can reserve their seats at oklahomasolarsummit.com or by contacting The Nature Conservancy in Oklahoma.