Solar spat unfolding in Sussex County

Yahoo

24-04-2025

SUSSEX COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — An Idaho-based company wants to put in a nearly $1.1 billion, 600 megawatt solar farm over a 4,800-acre area of Sussex County, but there is an organized effort to block the resubmitted project application, with a growing chorus of people saying 'not in our backyard.'
That is what property owner Molly Dowless was saying when she was offered $2.4 million from the Idaho-based Clēnera to put solar panels on 50 acres of her property as part of the project, which would be spread out over several sites across the proposed project area.
'I was offered $2.4 million over the course of the 30-year project total,' Dowless said in an interview on her Wakefield property. 'The number was tempting, I will admit. So obviously, I started doing a little bit of research. It didn't take long before I realized that what would be involved with industrial solar would have an environmental impact, not only on my land, on our land, but on land for acres and acres beyond.'
The solar farm has been proposed for a 4,800-acre project area with multiple sites, reduced from an initial proposal of 9,000 acres. The company said it would bring in nearly $5 million in revenue to Sussex County in its first year, and over its lifecycle, could bring the county upwards of $170 million in additional revenues, it said, without raising taxes.
'We will be the largest taxpayer in the county, providing significant resources for the county to provide some of the essential services,' said Ed Rumler, director of development for the Idaho-based Clēnera.
He said the project would last more than 35 years, not the 30 years that had been previously proposed.
'This is this is what I would call ground zero for this particular installation called Blackwater — the land you see here,' Dowless said while standing on her farm.
When you get to the town of Wakefield, there are overt signs of discontent — a pitched battle protest against industrial solar power.
'The farm was actually deeded to my grandmother's family,' Dowless said. 'This land dates back to King George II in 1747 — that's how long it's been in our family.'
A family cemetery has headstones from the late 1700s and 1800s.
The Blackwater Solar Project would mean the massive clear-cutting of tens of thousands of trees over thousands of acres in Sussex County.
Blackwater-Solar-FactsheetDownload
'When you do that, you've changed the dynamics of the land, you've gotten rid of the root structures, the systems in place that keep erosion from happening,' Dowless said. 'Think about the dust bowl, the topsoil was gone and what happened? The land was not productive anymore. Now these companies tell us they can put the topsoil back when the project is over and decommissioned. I'm not sure any of us believe that.'
Sensing opposition to the project, Clēnera scaled back a possible 9,000-acre project to 6,000 acres, and now, to the current proposal of 4,800 acres, or about 23% of Portsmouth's land mass.
'We have significantly shrunk the project in terms of acreage and actual megawatt size,' Rumler said.
Clēnera withdrew the original application, but not before the Sussex County Board of Supervisors voted down Blackwater by a 5-2 vote.
Rumler confirmed the company resubmitted the application last October, which reduced the solar project to the current 4,800-acre proposal.
'We have also removed the battery portion of the project based on the feedback from the town of Wakefield … that it was too close to the town,' Rumler said.
Clēnera eliminated a controversial battery energy storage facility, which if it were to catch fire, would be a difficult one to fight.
Dowless has other concerns, including the cutting down of 5,000 acres of trees and hauling them out to put in around 800,000 solar panels, down from the originally-proposed 1.4 million solar panels.
She is also concerned about anticipated construction traffic, 'which completely degrades the roads,' Dowless said.
Rumler says Clēnera considered that complaint.
'We've heard that, [and] we have agreed to not use heavy truck traffic through the town of Wakefield and immediately repair roads and using best practices for construction to make sure there's no damage to neighboring properties,' Rumler said.
However, many who oppose the project, including Dowless, would not support it under any conditions.
Not everyone, however, is opposed to the solar project.
County Supervisor Rufus Tyler, who represents the Henry District in the county, was one of those two votes in favor of the project.
'Those funds can be used to improve our infrastructure,' Tyler said. 'Those funds can be used to improve public safety [and] education.'
Tyler is referring to site funds under Virginia law which are given to localities that host a solar farm — in this case, an estimated $170 million over 35 years.
'The $170 million would be both tax revenue and siting agreement revenue,' Tyler said. 'They are separate, but the $170 million is the total pie of what would be to Sussex County.'
That's why Tyler voted for the project, and he fears losing that $170 million.
'I'm thinking that we might be losing [this] opportunity, because if we can improve our infrastructure, we can attract more industry, and with more industry we can generate more jobs,' Tyler said.
Tyler was asked whether he believes trees are important, in light of what would happen to many of them in the county as a result of the solar project.
After a slight pause, he answered.
'I think there are times when you have to find the equilibrium,' Tyler said. 'What's important? What about the quality of life in the community? What about educating kids so that they can be competitive in the global economy? I think that's important. What about health care? I think that's important. What about public safety? You know, those things are important as well.'
Dowless acknowledges that point and noted it puts members of the county's board of supervisors in a tough spot.
'We maybe need new buildings, new schools or something,' Dowless said. 'It may be a tough decision for them, and I know I don't envy their position.'
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