Mon Power Brings Solar Grazing to West Virginia Site
Rhea-AI Summary
FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE) subsidiary Mon Power used solar grazing at an 80-acre, 18.9-megawatt Fort Martin solar site on Nov. 20, 2025, deploying about 350 sheep to maintain vegetation under roughly 50,000 solar panels.
The practice, managed by contractor Sivic LLC, rotated animals every four to six days to trim weeds under panels; sheep will overwinter offsite and return in spring. The Fort Martin site is one of three in Mon Power and Potomac Edison's West Virginia program, totaling 30 MW of solar capacity and offering customers the option to purchase solar renewable energy credits (SRECs).
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Positive
- 18.9 MW Fort Martin solar site operational since early 2024
- Program totals 30 MW across three West Virginia sites
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – FE
On the day this news was published, FE gained 0.71%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Hundreds of sheep kept vegetation trimmed at 80-acre solar facility in Monongalia County
This method of natural lawnmowing is currently being used at 506 solar sites in 30 states, according to the American Solar Grazing Association.
Dan Rossero, Vice President of FirstEnergy's West Virginia Generation: "We're managing this site with an innovative approach that blends renewable energy and agriculture for the benefit of our community. Solar grazing allows us to keep the site operating efficiently while supporting local farmers and reducing our environmental footprint. By partnering with sheep farmers and advancing solar power, we're making a positive impact that extends well beyond the fence line."
Nature's Natural Lawnmowers
If a solar site's vegetation grows too high, it can create shade that prevents the panels from generating energy. Sheep are naturally suited for the mowing task:
- They enjoy eating a variety of weeds and invasive species.
- They can graze underneath the solar panels, where it is more challenging to trim with mowers and weed eaters.
- They are sheltered from the rain and heat by the panels.
Local Sheep at Work
At the Fort Martin solar site, which went into service in early 2024, Mon Power has contracted with Sivic LLC, a solar grazing company headed by Nate Dean and Luci Mosesso, farmers based in
Approximately 350 sheep grazed at the site through the fall. Sivic moved the sheep around the property every four to six days, using temporary fencing to ensure that vegetation was trimmed consistently throughout the property. With the vegetation growth now slowing, the sheep will spend the winter at their farm in
"It's a regenerative way to manage vegetation on a site that's already regenerative itself as a renewable energy source," says Dean.
West Virginia Solar Program
The 18.9-megawatt Fort Martin solar site was the first of three sites developed as part of Mon Power and Potomac Edison's solar program, which involves development of solar projects on brownfield or impacted industrial properties. With two additional sites in
Through the solar program, Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers in
Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34
Potomac Edison serves about 285,000 customers in seven counties in
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.