How Sheep on Solar Farms Are Fighting Climate Change

Sheep are taking over America's solar farms, and it turns out they're accidentally becoming climate heroes. Thousands of sheep are now munching grass between solar panels across the country, creating this weird symbiotic relationship that benefits everyone involved—the sheep, the farmers, the environment, and even your electric bill.

What started as a practical solution to keeping weeds under control has exploded into something much bigger. Solar grazing has grown tenfold in just two years, with around 113,000 sheep now working more than 129,000 acres of solar sites across 27 states.

Nature's Perfect Partnership

Sheep are basically the ideal solar farm employees. They're the right size to squeeze between panels and equipment, they work in all weather, and they never need gas or oil changes like mowers do. Plus, they fertilize as they go, improving soil quality while they eat.

Solar farm owners used to spend massive amounts on vegetation management, either hiring crews with mowers that risk damaging panels with flying debris, or using herbicides that nobody really wants near clean energy projects. Now they just hire a shepherd and let nature handle it.