ALBANY — Spurred on by an annexation battle in his district, a Capital Region lawmaker has proposed a one-year moratorium on converting farmland into industrial sites through the annexation process. The bill proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara of Schenectady, also speaks to what agriculturalists say is the continuing loss of farmland in New York state. That pace may increase as some prime farm plots are eyed as potential solar or wind farms, needed to meet the state’s ambitious clean energy goals.

The measure, co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jim Skoufis, Newburgh, would allow towns in rural counties with fewer than 55,000 people to impose a year-long moratorium on the annexation of farmland for industrial use. That would buy the municipalities time to develop an agricultural protection plan if they didn’t already have one.