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Power the Harvest

Presented by Black Man, Green Plan

Power The Harvest: The 4th Annual Agrivoltaics and Solar Leasing Conference for Black Farmers, Ranchers and Landowners

Empowering Black farmers, ranchers, and landowners with the knowledge to make informed decisions about solar leasing and agrivoltaics.

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Wendell Scott Productions
3+
Conferences Held
35–50
Year Lease Potential
83%
Farmland Needed for Solar Goals
100%
Black-Led & Community-Centered

Partners and supporters

Conference attendees learning about agrivoltaics
4th
Annual Conference
About the Conference

Your Land. Your Power.Your Decision.

The Power the Harvest Conference, presented by Black Man, Green Plan (BMGP), is the only annual event of its kind: a culturally grounded, community-centered gathering where Black farmers, ranchers, and landowners learn how to harness the power of solar energy on their own terms.

Founded by Knowledge Murphy, nationally recognized solar developer, DOE prize winner, and Western Solar Specialist with the American Farmland Trust, this conference assembles a rare coalition of Black solar developers, agrivoltaics experts, and land-rights advocates. They speak from lived experience, in plain language, with one mission: to put the power of the solar economy directly into the hands of Black farmers and landowners. No jargon. No pressure. Just the knowledge that protects your land and builds generational wealth.

What You'll Learn
Conference Topics

What You'll Learn

Nine powerful topics designed to equip you with the knowledge to protect your land, evaluate every offer, and build solar-powered generational wealth.

  • Advantages of Solar Leasing

    Discover how solar can generate significant additional income from land you already own, without disrupting your farming operations.

  • Agrivoltaics Explained

    Learn how combining solar panels with agricultural activities can optimize land use, increase crop yields, reduce water needs, and protect soil.

  • Solar Leasing Basics

    Understand the 5 steps of solar leasing, from gathering information to finalizing and monitoring your agreement.

  • Informed Lease Evaluation

    Become a savvy evaluator of land lease offers. Know what to negotiate, what to protect, and what red flags to watch for.

  • Funding & Financing

    Learn about REAP grants, EQIP programs, solar tax incentives, and other funding sources that can help pay for solar on your farm.

  • USDA, DOE & NRCS Resources

    Get direct access to resources from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, Department of Energy, and NREL.

  • Black Solar Developers

    Hear from Black solar developers with decades of experience who explain everything in a way that is culturally relevant and empowering.

  • Network Nationwide

    Connect with like-minded farmers, landowners, and advocates from across the U.S. and worldwide who are working on these same issues.

  • Career Opportunities

    Explore information about career opportunities and training programs available in the clean energy sector across the United States.

Framework

5 Steps of Solar Leasing

A proven framework to help you evaluate any solar lease offer with confidence and clarity.

  1. Gather Comprehensive Information

    Research the solar developer, understand the local energy market, and collect all relevant data about your land and its solar potential.

  2. Identify & Engage Stakeholders

    Discuss plans with family, business partners, neighbors, elected officials, and community members who have a stake in your land decisions.

  3. Define Your Priorities

    Identify non-negotiables: which agricultural practices must continue, which land areas must be preserved, and what financial terms are essential.

  4. Navigate Legal Agreements

    Review all letters of intent, option agreements, and lease contracts carefully. Understand key clauses and negotiate terms that protect your interests.

  5. Finalize & Monitor the Agreement

    Ensure the contract is legally binding and monitor compliance throughout the lease term, which can span 35 to 50 years.

Key Concept

What is Agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics is the dual-use integration of solar panels and active farming on the same land. It combines Agri- (relating to food production) with -Voltaic (relating to electricity production).

Done properly, agrivoltaics allows farmers to produce food for markets and livestock, retain their land, and grow a new stream of income through solar leasing, all at the same time. It can reduce crop water loss by up to 30%, increase shade for heat-sensitive crops, and improve soil organic matter.

Think of agrivoltaics as welcoming a second tenant farmer onto your land, one harvesting sunlight above, while you continue harvesting crops below. The land stays in production. The farmer keeps control.

Miles Braxton, Okovate Sustainable Energy
Solar panels with flowering crops growing underneath

Includes: Grazing · Row Crops · Apiaries

Conference Speakers

Voices of the Movement

Conference Host & Founder

Knowledge Murphy

BMGP Energy

Knowledge Murphy

Founder & CEO, Black Man, Green Plan

Knowledge Murphy is a nationally recognized solar developer, entrepreneur, and movement builder who has spent his career ensuring that Black and underserved communities are not left behind in America's clean energy transition. As Founder & CEO of BMGP Energy, he develops residential, commercial, and agrivoltaic solar projects across the U.S. and internationally. He co-founded the Northwest Xcelerator, a climate-tech accelerator that has won three of NREL's American Made Challenges, including two Inclusive Energy Innovation Prizes and an EPIC Prize from the U.S. Department of Energy. A member of the Scientific Committee for the International Agrivoltaics Conference and a Western Solar Specialist with the American Farmland Trust, Knowledge has built a reputation as one of the most trusted voices at the intersection of Black land ownership and the solar economy.

Past Conference Speakers

Okovate

Miles Braxton

CEO & Co-Founder, Okovate Sustainable Energy

Miles Braxton is a cleantech innovator, equity champion, and one of the leading agrivoltaic developers in the United States. A University of Virginia environmental science and engineering graduate, Miles founded Okovate to reconnect solar development with agriculture, using software-enabled agrivoltaics to place solar panels above active farmland, creating dual income streams for farmers while protecting the land. He is also co-founder of the Agrivoltaic Learning Center (CALC) and a featured speaker at CERAWeek, Yale Environment Review, and the International Agrivoltaics Conference. His mission: make agrivoltaics the standard, not the exception, especially for underserved and rural farming communities.

Midflare

Christian Warren

Founder, President & CEO, Midflare Corporation

Christian Warren is a trailblazing solar developer with over 25 years of experience in consulting, manufacturing, and renewable energy. He founded Midflare Corporation in Atlanta in 2009, one of the first Black-owned utility and commercial-scale solar development companies in the southeastern United States. With deep expertise in large-scale solar project development and management, Christian has built Midflare into a respected force in the clean energy industry. He is also a dedicated mentor to young Black entrepreneurs in Atlanta and a champion of clean energy education, partnering with schools to give students hands-on experience in solar careers. A member of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), Christian brings both executive authority and community commitment to every stage.

4th Annual Conference · 2027

2027 Speakers To Be Announced

The lineup for the 4th Annual Power the Harvest Conference is being assembled. Stay tuned, and if you're interested in speaking, reach out directly.

Get NotifiedInquire About Speaking
Tools & Knowledge

Protect Your Decision

Your decision should not be made in isolation. These organizations exist to help you research, evaluate, and act with the full weight of knowledge behind you.

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Claim Your Seat at the Table

The more time you take and research you do, the greater the chance your ultimate decision will be what's best for you, the land, and everyone impacted now and into the future.

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Reach Out

Let's Talk About Your Land

Questions about the conference, speaking opportunities, sponsorships, or how solar can work on your land? Reach Knowledge Murphy and the BMGP Energy team directly. As a DOE prize-winning developer and Western Solar Specialist with the American Farmland Trust, Knowledge brings both the credentials and the candor to give you real answers, not sales talk.

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