Sheep Power, Grazing Flock Helps Xcel Energy Manage Vegetation at Sherco Solar Farm

(KNSI) – An invasive species is stalking through the waist-high shrubs, weeds, and grass at the new Xcel Energy solar facility outside the Sherco Generating Plant, and the utility company couldn’t be happier.

Site Manager Luke Molus says having sheep graze on the land is more cost-efficient than trying to manage the 5,000-plus acres with an army of lawnmowers. “We went out for bid for using vegetation management contractors. I think we went out to seven different companies, and sheep and MNL [Minnesota Natural Landscapes] ended up being the most cost effective. Obviously, they have sheep, but they do have a very hybrid approach to vegetation management throughout solar fields.”

Molus likes that Minnesota Natural Landscapes will do the manual work when needed, but notes that the sheep are fairly self-regulating. They are on-site 24/7, gnawing away at their leisure, and protected by a trusty Great Pyrenees guard dog named Ozzy.

Minnesota Natural Landscapes Grazing Program Coordinator Jodee Nohner believes the flock is at home on a solar farm. “These sheep, especially, are adapted to eat native prairie. Most of these sheep have been born on solar sites or on prairie, and then have learned from their moms what they like best to eat.”

Grant Dossetto/KNSI News

She notes they tend to attack flowers first, but are happy to cut down any and all plants on the grounds before they grow too tall and begin to crowd out the sun needed by the solar cells to produce energy.

The flock right now consists of 1,500 ewes and lambs who inherently know not to overeat and to maintain a good diet. Nohner says, “All of the plants that you see on the prairie, or any pasture, have a different makeup of the protein and different minerals that they have in the plant. The sheep will instinctively know what they’re lacking in their body, so they will go after what they need first.”

MNL also uses an electric fence to pen the sheep and keep predators out. Coyotes and large birds like eagles are the biggest dangers in central Minnesota.

Officials with Xcel Energy describe the Sherco solar farm as an ‘adventurous’ project for the utility. Phase 1 is online, and Phase 2 is coming soon. They describe the management process as one of continual learning. Molus brags about the progress they’ve made. “This month, we’ve had days in the summer where we’ve made full name plate output for our site for 13 hours of the day. We do see good output during the summer months and obviously, yeah, winter, we do see a little bit less.”

Molus says the company has planned accordingly and overbuilt to ensure production meets its stated goals. The property had been maintained through mowing until recently, when Blattner Energy supervised and controlled it.

Overall, the flock of animals added an adorable touch that contributes to the project’s character.

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