US Solar Farms Put Hungry Sheep to Work
2025-01-24
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1A group of sheep on farmland in the American state of Texas work together to complete a job: eating the grass growing beneath hundreds of solar panels.
2Sheep have become a symbol of a growing solar industry as large-scale solar farms appear across the United States.
3In Milam County, Texas, SB Energy operates the fifth-largest solar project in the country.
4It can produce 900 megawatts of power across 1,618 hectares.
5So, how does the company deal with all the grass that grows on such a large piece of land?
6It deploys about 3,000 sheep that keep the grass cover low.
7Sheep, unlike devices such as lawnmowers, can fit between small spaces and work in all kinds of weather conditions.
8The work of the sheep, and sometimes other animals, is called solar grazing.
9It is considered part of the larger idea of agrivoltaics --- the use of land for both solar energy production and agriculture.
10The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that solar grazing may help the environment in several ways.
11These include making grassy areas safer for wild animals, like nesting ground birds, and by reducing fuel use and air pollution.
12Agrivoltaics is on the rise with more than 60 solar grazing projects in the U.S., the National Renewable Energy Laboratory says.
13The American Solar Grazing Association says 27 states take part in solar grazing.
14Putting the animals to work on solar fields also provides some help to the sheep and wool market, which has struggled in recent years.
15The number of sheep and lambs in Texas fell to 655,000 in January 2024, a 4 percent drop from the year before.
16That information comes from the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
17Because solar fields use sunny, flat land that is often good for animals to eat grass on, the power plants have been used in cooperation with farmers rather than against them.
18Sheep farmer JR Howard accidentally found himself in the middle of Texas' move to clean energy.
19In 2021, he and his family began working with solar farms. Howard's sheep ate the grass on these large areas of land.
20What was once a small business has turned into a larger operation with more than 8,000 sheep and 26 employees.
21"Just the growth has been kind of crazy for us," said Howard, who named his company Texas Solar Sheep.
22"It's been great for me and my family."
23Some agriculture experts say Howard's success shows how solar farms have become a big help for some ranchers.
24Reid Redden is a sheep farmer and solar vegetation manager in San Angelo, Texas.
25Redden said a successful sheep business requires agricultural land that has become increasingly hard to find.
26"Solar grazing is probably the biggest opportunity that the sheep industry had in the United States in several generations," Redden said.
27Redden suggested that people in the rural communities near where he raises sheep have been very positive about solar grazing.
28Agrivoltaics itself is not new. Solar farms use a lot of land and require a lot of space that could be used for food production.
29Agrivoltaics helps with the problem by permitting the two industries to coexist, whether growing food or caring for livestock.
30There is a lot still unknown about the full effects of solar grazing, said Nuria Gomez-Casanovas of Texas A&M University.
31Not enough studies have been done to know the long-term environmental effects, such as how good the soil will be for future agriculture.
32However, Gomez-Casanovas suspects solar grazing may improve sheep productivity.
33"We really have more questions than answers," Gomez-Casanovas said.
34I'm John Russell.
1A group of sheep on farmland in the American state of Texas work together to complete a job: eating the grass growing beneath hundreds of solar panels. 2Sheep have become a symbol of a growing solar industry as large-scale solar farms appear across the United States. 3Solar grazing 4In Milam County, Texas, SB Energy operates the fifth-largest solar project in the country. It can produce 900 megawatts of power across 1,618 hectares. 5So, how does the company deal with all the grass that grows on such a large piece of land? It deploys about 3,000 sheep that keep the grass cover low. Sheep, unlike devices such as lawnmowers, can fit between small spaces and work in all kinds of weather conditions. 6The work of the sheep, and sometimes other animals, is called solar grazing. It is considered part of the larger idea of agrivoltaics --- the use of land for both solar energy production and agriculture. 7The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that solar grazing may help the environment in several ways. These include making grassy areas safer for wild animals, like nesting ground birds, and by reducing fuel use and air pollution. 8Agrivoltaics is on the rise with more than 60 solar grazing projects in the U.S., the National Renewable Energy Laboratory says. The American Solar Grazing Association says 27 states take part in solar grazing. 9A sunny opportunity 10Putting the animals to work on solar fields also provides some help to the sheep and wool market, which has struggled in recent years. The number of sheep and lambs in Texas fell to 655,000 in January 2024, a 4 percent drop from the year before. That information comes from the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 11Because solar fields use sunny, flat land that is often good for animals to eat grass on, the power plants have been used in cooperation with farmers rather than against them. 12Sheep farmer JR Howard accidentally found himself in the middle of Texas' move to clean energy. In 2021, he and his family began working with solar farms. Howard's sheep ate the grass on these large areas of land. 13What was once a small business has turned into a larger operation with more than 8,000 sheep and 26 employees. 14"Just the growth has been kind of crazy for us," said Howard, who named his company Texas Solar Sheep. "It's been great for me and my family." 15Following the herd 16Some agriculture experts say Howard's success shows how solar farms have become a big help for some ranchers. 17Reid Redden is a sheep farmer and solar vegetation manager in San Angelo, Texas. Redden said a successful sheep business requires agricultural land that has become increasingly hard to find. 18"Solar grazing is probably the biggest opportunity that the sheep industry had in the United States in several generations," Redden said. 19Redden suggested that people in the rural communities near where he raises sheep have been very positive about solar grazing. 20Agrivoltaics itself is not new. Solar farms use a lot of land and require a lot of space that could be used for food production. 21Agrivoltaics helps with the problem by permitting the two industries to coexist, whether growing food or caring for livestock. 22There is a lot still unknown about the full effects of solar grazing, said Nuria Gomez-Casanovas of Texas A&M University. 23Not enough studies have been done to know the long-term environmental effects, such as how good the soil will be for future agriculture. However, Gomez-Casanovas suspects solar grazing may improve sheep productivity. 24"We really have more questions than answers," Gomez-Casanovas said. 25I'm John Russell. 26Nadia Lathan reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 27________________________________________________ 28Words in This Story 29solar panel - n. a battery of solar cells 30symbol - n. something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance 31wool - n. the soft and usually thick undercoat of hairy mammals (especially sheep) 32rancher - n. one who owns or works on a large farm that raises sheep, cows, horses, etc. 33vegetation - n. plant cover or plant life 34opportunity - n. a good chance for advancement or progress