Farmers find new revenue by grazing sheep beneath solar panels

West Texas farmers are adopting "solar grazing," using sheep to manage vegetation under solar panels, providing income amid volatile agricultural markets.

Samuel Gilbert reports for The Washington Post.

In short:

Solar grazing involves using sheep to control vegetation at solar farms, reducing the need for mowers and herbicides.
Texas farmer Chad Raines now manages sheep at multiple solar sites, benefiting from stable contracts with energy companies.
Solar grazing is part of the growing agrivoltaics industry, which combines agriculture with renewable energy production.

Key quote:

“The most existential threat to our industry is not global pandemics, it’s not who is in the White House, it’s not supply chain issues or the war in Ukraine. It’s local opposition, all centered around land-use questions.”

— Matt Beasley, chief commercial officer for Silicon Ranch Corp., a solar energy company

Why this matters:

Agrivoltaics offers a sustainable solution to two major challenges: the demand for renewable energy and the need to support struggling farmers. It also helps improve soil health and biodiversity while contributing to emissions reduction efforts.

www.washingtonpost.com

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.

Credit: jmattaikenjd2009/Pixabay

British Columbia's election may shift climate and Indigenous policies

British Columbia’s upcoming election presents voters with a choice between the BC NDP’s progressive approach to climate action and Indigenous rights and the BC Conservative Party’s climate denial and opposition to shared land use with First Nations.

Arno Kopecky reports for The Walrus.

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