Dominion Energy extends grazing operation for sheep to solar farm situated in Northern Virginia
Dominion Energy, a leading energy company in Virginia, has introduced an innovative and eco-friendly approach to maintaining its solar facilities through a sheep grazing program. This initiative, launched in 2023, is proving to be a significant contributor to both environmental preservation and the clean energy transition.
The program employs a herd of sheep to graze on grass and vegetation around solar panels, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional mechanical lawnmowers. This natural grazing helps maintain the land without the emissions and noise associated with gasoline-powered equipment, making it a more environmentally friendly approach to solar farm upkeep.
By reducing reliance on fossil fuel-powered landscaping machinery, Dominion Energy's sheep grazing program lowers overall carbon emissions, promoting a greener approach to solar farm maintenance. This synergy between agriculture and clean energy demonstrates how farming practices can coexist with renewable energy infrastructure.
In addition, the grazing ensures that solar panels receive maximum sunlight without obstruction, enhancing the efficiency of the solar power generation. Well-maintained sites are crucial for the performance and longevity of solar installations.
Moreover, Dominion Energy partners with local farmers like Bill Renaud of Carrington Farm to care for the sheep. This collaboration integrates agricultural economic activity into the renewable energy sector, supporting local jobs and demonstrating a model of multi-use land that benefits both clean energy expansion and traditional farming.
The program is currently in operation at three of Dominion Energy's largest solar facilities in Virginia, including the Remington Solar facility in Fauquier County. The sheep graze through approximately 30-to-40 acres of grass every two to three days.
Tim Eberly, a spokesperson for Dominion Energy, stated that the sheep are contributing to the clean energy transition. The company hopes to expand the program as it plans to double the number of solar facilities statewide over the next 15-20 years. This expansion could potentially see the sheep grazing program extended to facilities in Hampton Roads, Richmond, and the southern region of Virginia.
Dominion Energy's goal is to transition to a carbon-free grid, and this sheep grazing program is just one of the ways they are working towards this goal. The company currently operates more than 70 large-scale solar facilities around Virginia, and the sheep grazing program and solar power are both contributing to the clean energy transition.
In conclusion, Dominion Energy’s sheep grazing program is an innovative, environmentally sustainable practice that aids in the upkeep of solar facilities while reducing carbon footprint and illustrating how renewable energy development can harmonize with agricultural land use, thereby advancing Virginia's clean energy goals.
- The sheep grazing program, colluding agriculture with renewable energy, provides local farmers like Bill Renaud of Carrington Farm with opportunities for economic activity, thus integrating finance into the renewable energy sector.
- As Dominion Energy plans to double the number of solar facilities statewide over the next 15-20 years, they hope to expand the sheep grazing program, which aligns technology with environmental-science, as a means to minimize carbon emissions and promote a greener approach to solar farm maintenance.
