TWIGGS COUNTY, Ga. — Normally, farmers use lawnmowers or tractors to keep solar panels from getting shaded by overgrown vegetation.
In Twiggs County though, Onward Energy uses the company Goat Farm Road to help control plants growing under solar panels. The goats and sheep eat the grass so it stays low. Goat Farm Road manager Abby Banks says the goats cost less than mowing and reduce emissions.
"Plus, bring the animals out here, it helps with the wildlife too. Bobwhite quails, rabbits, we've even seen foxes, even Onward has told me they have noticed they have seen a little bit more wildlife out here than when big equipment has been running so that's a big plus for the wildlife," Banks said.
Banks says they have over 2,500 sheep and goats that eat grass on the 1,675-acre land in Twiggs County. She says the animals will stay in a section for two or three days then move to a larger area of the land and stay there for about 30 days.
Banks says the goats help with erosion and the natural flow of water. And because they don't use fossil fuels, the water in the area stays clean. The only time the grass is cut is when goats don't eat certain grass in the field.
"I come behind the goats and I mainly cut the stuff that either dies out or is too tough for them to eat like Johnson grass," said Cameron Baur, one of the workers with Goat Farm Road.
Banks says they are caring for the animals 24/7, making sure they are given water and keeping them from tampering with the panels. She says the goats aren't dangerous because they move them and they're on a large area of land.
Madison Tucker says she started working for Goat Farm Road four months ago, but has been caring for goats for almost five years. She says Onward Energy makes sure workers like her are safe around the panel.
"When we first got here at Onward Energy, we got a safety orientation about everything we're supposed to do. We keep our hard hats on to prevent any head injuries from a fallen solar panel, running loose wires that might have come off, safety vest," Tucker said.
Onward Energy has four solar farms in Georgia and provides zero-carbon renewable energy like wind, solar, and natural gas across the nation.