How a central Ohio solar project is planning on using its land for agriculture

MILLERSPORT, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A proposed central Ohio solar project has been revised so that the land it’s built on can still be used for agricultural purposes.

The Eastern Cottontail Solar Project, one of two proposed for Fairfield County, is a 220-megawatt facility expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 American homes. It has been in the works for a 1,550-acre piece of land in Walnut Township since before the county enacted a solar exclusionary zone, which prohibits large solar facilities from being built in the area.

EDF Renewables — the developer behind the proposed solar farm — announced Tuesday it will use sheep grazing to assist with the site’s vegetation management, keeping that land in agricultural use. This was added as a supplement to the project’s permit application with the Ohio Power Siting Board.

“Our commitment to sheep grazing is a major initiative for Eastern Cottontail Solar, as it aims to be the first U.S. project for developer EDF Renewables to implement agrivoltaics,” said Nick Lucania, lead developer of the Eastern Cottontail Solar Project.

A common theme among Ohio residents concerned about solar development has been the potential impact on farmland, leading in part to the creation of exclusionary zones like the one in Fairfield County. Similar resolutions have been passed in at least 26 counties across the state, including in Crawford, Fayette, Knox, Licking, Madison, Marion and Union counties.

“It’s a challenging situation. We’ve had conversations with landowners that have leased property to those solar companies saying, ‘Look, I have the right to do this.’ And they do,” Fairfield County Commissioner Jeff Fix said in May. “It’s tough to find the balance.”

Lucania said over the four years that the project has been in development, engagement with the local community has been a priority. That’s how they came to introduce sheep grazing.

“The most common concern we’ve heard is that while solar utilizes privately-owned land, it can displace active farmland,” Lucania said.

“Agrivoltaics” — or the practice of using the same land for both solar energy and agriculture — is one way to alleviate those concerns.

“Dual solar-agricultural land use will support local farming and help preserve the agricultural heritage of Fairfield County, all while enhancing the land utilized for our project,” Lucania said.

Also known as “ lambscaping, ” one benefit of this form of agrivoltaics is that it uses sheep herding to keep vegetation from growing over its panels and blocking energy produced by the sun. EDF Renewables said sheep grazing would provide wide-ranging benefits for the solar project and its surrounding community, such as more opportunities for local shepherds, job creation, and advancements for regional agricultural-based industries like meat, dairy, and wool.

“As a native Walnut Township farmer focused on sustainable agricultural practices, I appreciate Eastern Cottontail Solar’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with agriculture,” said Hayden Kandel, whose property borders the project. “Eastern Cottontail Solar’s commitment to agrivoltaics now goes another step further and provides even more benefits for our community.”

Sheep are great stewards of land, according to EDF Renewables, so they are also expected to help increase plant growth and biodiversity, improve soil health and reduce erosion while ensuring the farm’s solar panels operate at maximum efficiency.

The project still awaits approval by the Ohio Power Siting Board. If passed, the solar farm is estimated to create approximately 500 jobs in construction, operations and maintenance, as well as generating as much as $80 million in revenue for schools, police and fire departments, and local services throughout the county.

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