Largest solar grazing agreement: 6,000 sheep to mow grass at eight solar plants

Over 6,000 sheep will graze on 4,100 acres of solar land as energy company Enel North America and vegetation management firm Texas Solar Sheep established a partnership.

Enel North America said it would deploy over 6,000 sheep to control vegetation at its eight solar plants in Texas, via the largest solar grazing agreement executed in the United States.

The company is partnering with Texas Solar Sheep Co., a family business that provides vegetation management at large photovoltaic facilities. It is committed to scaling up sustainable practices in the renewables sector, the announcement reads.

Fast Company wrote that the business of using sheep to maintain vegetation is growing quickly The idea brings a lot of benefits for soil and insects, but also helps energy producers to avoid fire risk by keeping plants short, and save money, the media outlet added.

Solar sites of a combined 40,500 hectares are already grazed in the US

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) said the combined benefits of preserving native habitats and grazing livestock at solar installations include improved soil health, enabling more efficient use of water, and reduced maintenance and operations costs.

Enel North America said the contract is one of the most significant deals for dual-use solar. It added that the American Solar Grazing Association estimates 40,500 hectares at solar sites are being grazed in the US, per a recent survey.

By embracing sheep grazing, the subsidiary of Italy-based Enel Group said it is reinforcing commitment to agrivoltaics, the practice of combining solar power generation with agricultural practices.

Of note, Enel North America’s portfolio consists of over 10.3 GW of utility-scale renewable energy capacity, 1.3 GW of utility-scale energy storage, 106.9 MW of distributed energy storage capacity, 4.9 GW of demand response capacity, and 193,000 electric vehicle charging ports.

Solar grazing is at the forefront of a booming agrisolar industry

Kevin Richardson, Outreach Director of the American Solar Grazing Association, said solar grazing is at the forefront of a booming agrisolar industry. There are, in his words, more and more leaders in the solar industry investing in long-lasting partnerships with farmers and creating new opportunities for American agriculture.

“Enel’s record-breaking collaboration with Texas Solar Sheep is an exciting step forward for sustainable dual-use solar practices,” said Marcus Krembs, head of external relations and sustainability at Enel North America.

He added that the company is demonstrating how solar power and agriculture can coexist while ensuring optimal performance of its solar facilities.

Texas Solar Sheep LLC is applauding Enel’s commitment to dual land use of solar facilities and is looking forward to expanding Texas agriculture along with solar energy production, the firm’s owner JR Howard asserted.