As solar power plants rapidly expand, a new business sector has emerged for managing the land where panels are located. This method, known as 'solar grazing,' relies on animals to control the vegetation beneath and around solar panels. This allows plant operators to reduce their reliance on mechanical mowing for vegetation management while also enabling agricultural activities to continue.
According to Stacie Peterson, Executive Director of the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA), the practice became a commercial activity in 2018. Data from ASGA and the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) indicates that over 113,000 sheep are grazing among solar panels across approximately 522,000 acres. While 2025 data has not yet been released, Peterson believes the sector continues to grow.
The Era of Sheep and Cattle in Solar Farms
Controlling vegetation around solar panels is a crucial part of power plant maintenance. While traditional methods involve mechanical mowing equipment, grazing with animals can meet this need with less fossil fuel consumption.
Sheep are among the most preferred animals due to their small size and ability to move easily between panel rows. Furthermore, this method allows agricultural activities to continue on solar energy sites. Grazing with cattle is also being explored.
US solar energy developer Nexamp has significantly expanded its grazing program, which it initiated on a single site in 2019, due to the observed benefits. In the last grazing season, the company utilized animals across approximately 8,094 acres at 89 solar energy sites in five states.
Energy Companies and Farmers Win Together
The practice of solar grazing not only offers companies the ability to control vegetation. Farmers regularly present on site can also identify issues such as loose cables or damaged fences and report them to maintenance teams.
Farmers, in turn, earn income for land management services and can expand their operations by accessing larger grazing areas. Furthermore, maintaining healthy pastures for animal feeding directly benefits the farmers.
Another example in the US is the collaboration between ReVision Energy and Black Earth Grazing. Under a partnership that began in 2024, Black Earth Grazing expanded its operations from an initial 40 sheep to a flock of several hundred animals. Today, the operation grazes across 11 community solar energy sites for ReVision Energy.
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