SUSSEX COUNTY, Va. — Solar energy is increasing in popularity and big companies like Dominion Energy are getting in on the action.

Getting more solar farms can be seen as a great way to create renewable energy, but some worry it's taking over usable agricultural land. News 3's Pari Cruz drove a couple of hours to South Central Virginia to see one way Dominion Energy is combating that idea with an alternative way of keeping things green.

“We're here to manage the vegetation,” said Marcus Gray from Gray’s Lambscaping.

Yes, lambscaping.

“One of the needs that the solar industry has is to maintain the plants that grow in and around the arrays," Gray said. "So rather than burning fuel with mowers, we use sheep to eat the vegetation.”

As part of Dominion’s solar grazing program, these sheep clean up more than 40 acres a day across five of their solar farms.

“We are trying to get creative and innovative in ways in vegetation management,” said Dominion Energy spokesperson Tim Eberly.

It’s more environmentally friendly, too, because it saves emissions generated by lawn mowing equipment.

All the sheep keep it green while eating the green.

READ MORE. This story is written and reported by our media partner WTKR

 

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