Proof of the clean-energy transition abounds, with photo voltaic panels dotting rooftops, parking tons, and open areas. In Massachusetts, future proliferation of those sunlight-soaking cells will probably be a excessive precedence: About 5 occasions extra photo voltaic vitality will probably be wanted to succeed in the state’s purpose of net-zero greenhouse gasoline emissions by 2050.

However at what price? Harvard Forest researchers have co-authored a landmark report detailing what number of tasks have required the clearing of carbon-absorbing forested areas, unnecessarily harming nature in addition to undercutting environmental progress. The report, written with Mass Audubon, says stronger land-use and incentive insurance policies would enable a smoother transition to scrub vitality sources with out sacrificing extra forests and farmlands.

“Rising Photo voltaic, Defending Nature” was co-authored by Jonathan Thompson, analysis director on the Harvard Forest, a 4,000-acre pure laboratory that homes analysis and schooling in forest biology, ecology, and conservation. Of their evaluation, Thompson and collaborator Michelle Manion of Mass Audubon define situations and proposals for good, sustainable photo voltaic growth in Massachusetts.

“We discovered that we are able to obtain the commonwealth’s clear vitality targets with little or no influence on pure and dealing lands,” mentioned Thompson, whose staff makes a speciality of geospatial evaluation and land-use impacts to forest ecosystems. Over the previous yr, Thompson led the land-use and carbon modeling that portrayed totally different future photo voltaic impacts throughout the state beneath totally different situations. The staff labored carefully with Advanced Vitality Analysis, which offered vitality and financial consulting.

Since 2010, greater than 500 ground-mount photo voltaic tasks have been developed throughout the state, overlaying 8,000 acres, of which about 60 p.c are forest acres, in line with the report. This illustrates a horrible irony: Deploying photo voltaic usually means slicing again on tree cowl and shedding the local weather change mitigation it gives by way of pulling carbon dioxide from the air, storing the carbon, and releasing oxygen into the ambiance.

Because the authors clarify, clear vitality sources aren’t sufficient to fulfill local weather targets. Eradicating carbon from the ambiance is simply as vital, and Massachusetts’ famously ample forests are a main means to that finish. Past the attractive inexperienced canopies they supply, forests are a essential, pure carbon sink, and the clear vitality transition can’t occur with out them.

“We have to suppose not solely about what number of acres we’re utilizing for photo voltaic growth, but additionally which acres are being developed,” Thompson mentioned. “Our core forests are extremely useful for wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and carbon storage, and we should do the whole lot we are able to to guard them from additional fragmentation.”

By shifting from massive, ground-mount photo voltaic to extra tasks on rooftops, parking tons, and already-developed lands, Massachusetts can head off additional, pointless harm to forests and farmlands whereas additionally assembly net-zero emission targets, the report states.

State policymakers expressed help for the brand new report’s findings. “‘Rising Photo voltaic, Defending Nature’ gives a clear-eyed evaluation of the impacts of the commonwealth’s photo voltaic coverage to this point and gives a roadmap for higher aligning our targets of quickly transitioning away from fossil fuels, defending our forests that assist to attract down carbon, and defending biodiversity,” mentioned Massachusetts local weather chief Melissa Hoffer. “The joint crises of local weather and biodiversity loss require contemporary considering, and this report affords simply that.”

Key coverage suggestions embrace:

• Eliminating Photo voltaic Massachusetts Renewable Goal (SMART) incentives for tasks sited on core behavior and demanding pure landscapes whereas rising incentives for photo voltaic on rooftops and developed lands.
• Investing in approaches that can cut back prices of rooftop and cover photo voltaic tasks.
• Prioritizing photo voltaic with the bottom impacts to nature.
• Supporting governmental, institutional, business, and industrial landowners in constructing photo voltaic close to current transmission infrastructure to scale back prices of vitality distribution.
• Launching a statewide planning effort to combine clear vitality and transmission infrastructure into the method of land growth.
• Funding everlasting safety of Massachusetts’ highest-value pure and dealing lands.

“One of many targets of this work is to broaden how we take into consideration the prices and advantages of the clear vitality transition and what we have to combat local weather change,” mentioned Manion, Mass Audubon’s vice chairman for coverage and advocacy. “Our outcomes are clear: Once we place actual worth on nature’s contribution to the combat towards local weather change and safety of biodiversity, the trail ahead with the bottom prices is the one which solves for each clear vitality and nature. And it’s proper in entrance of us.”