Avangrid Partners with Rancher for Largest Solar Grazing Operation

Key Takeaways

1. Avangrid, Inc. has partnered with a fifth-generation Oregon rancher to implement solar grazing at two solar farms in Oregon and Washington.
2. Solar grazing uses sheep to manage vegetation at solar energy facilities, reducing the need for gas-powered machinery and lowering wildfire risks.
3. The initiative has expanded to become the largest solar grazing operation in the region, with over 5,000 sheep involved at peak times.
4. This project supports local communities and promotes a circular economy while contributing to environmental sustainability.
5. Avangrid is exploring opportunities to expand solar grazing to other solar facilities in its portfolio.

Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, has launched the largest solar grazing operation in the region by partnering with a fifth-generation Oregon rancher. This initiative involves grazing sheep at two solar farms in Oregon and Washington, using livestock instead of machinery to manage vegetation.

Sustainable Vegetation Management

Solar grazing is a method of vegetation management at solar energy facilities that uses grazing livestock, like sheep, to control the growth of weeds and vegetation. This approach reduces the use of gas-powered machinery and lowers wildfire risks. Avangrid began this effort last year with a pilot project at Pachwáywit Fields, Oregon’s largest operating solar farm in Gilliam County, serving Portland General Electric’s Green Future Impact participants. By spring, the pilot had expanded into a full-scale operation, and a similar initiative was launched at Avangrid’s Lund Hill solar farm in Klickitat County, Washington, the state’s largest operating solar facility.

Environmental and Community Benefits

At peak times in the spring, more than 5,000 sheep grazed across both facilities. These sheep, belonging to Cameron Krebs, a fifth-generation Oregon rancher, help reduce vegetation while supporting local agricultural communities. “These sheep are not only a more environmentally friendly solution to manage the vegetation but help us support the local community and contribute to a circular economy in the Pacific Northwest,” said Pedro Azagra, CEO of Avangrid.

Local Collaboration and Future Expansion

The sheep provide wool and lamb for Krebs and his family, who have partnered with Oregon-based Pendleton Woolen Mills for over a century. “There has been a significant learning curve, but it is fascinating to watch the sheep learn to expertly move under and around the solar panels to eat the vegetation,” noted Krebs. The initiative has shown that sheep can maneuver around solar panels more effectively than large mowing equipment, as highlighted by Dustin Ervin, Avangrid’s senior solar manager for Oregon and Washington.

Taylor McAllister, product specialist at PGE, emphasized the importance of local collaborations, stating, “We are proud to work with local communities, businesses, and companies like Avangrid to continue to find ways to provide clean energy to our customers while benefiting Oregon.”

Keith Stonelake, wool buyer for Pendleton Woolen Mills, praised the partnership, saying, “Creating world-class products starts with healthy sheep providing the best wool possible. The Krebs family has been one of our trusted wool growers for nearly 100 years and we are thrilled by the partnership between the Krebs’ and Avangrid.”