The 'environmentally-friendly alternative' way Dominion Energy is cutting grass

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — At solar farms in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, Dominion Energy has found an alternative option to a lawn mower; this one has hooves.

“It’s an environmentally-friendly alternative, it’s innovative, it’s creative and they do a great job," said spokesperson Tim Eberly. "They can eat about 40 acres of grass and vegetation every few days."

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The flock of 300 sheep and 180 lambs is tended to by a shepherd, along with guard dogs and herding dogs.

“Our guardian dogs are with the sheep all the time," said Jess Gray with Gray's Lambscaping. "They protect the flock when we are not around.”

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Gray says the venture has piqued interest from neighbors.

“We get calls like, 'Are you guys moving them? When are you moving them? I’d love to watch and see. I bring the grandkids by just to watch the sheep eat,'” said Gray.

The goal of the project is to keep the grass below the panels to maximize output. At Bedford Solar Farm in Chesapeake, one of the sites where the sheep currently graze, the energy generated powers 17,500 homes.