Nothing sweet about agrivoltaics? Discussions on the territorial adequacy of agrivoltaics in Reunion Island

Abstract By combining agricultural production and electricity generation, agrivoltaics presents a potential solution to land use conflicts resulting from the integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems into agricultural land. Yet, agrivoltaics offers a technological answer to complex social problems and may not automatically lead to consensual implementation. Based on interviews and field research data, this article analyzes local stakeholders’ perception of agrivoltaics in the French island of Reunion. The study takes place a few months before the release of a decree regularizing agrivoltaics on agricultural land. At this tipping point, I discuss how local territorial strategies such as food sovereignty, energy autonomy, and the protection of the sugarcane industry are mobilized to legitimize or de-legitimize agrivoltaics implementation in Reunion. Using concepts of territorialization and frontiers, the analysis demonstrates that the framing of agrivoltaics as territorially adequate is central to agrivoltaics' integration. In the context of increasing pressures to secure more land for PV, these findings highlight how agrivoltaics implementation extends beyond the energy versus agriculture debate to also include the type of agriculture and resource use enabled by agrivoltaics. Its alignment with existing sectors and local policies, here particularly the sugarcane industry, is crucial to understanding its implementation at local scales.