CHARLES TOWN â The West Virginia Public Service Commission has approved open farmland south of Charles Town as a suitable site to build a 795-acre industrial solar energy-generating project.
After holding public hearings last month, the state utility regulatorâs decision marks one hurdle the Wild Hill Solar project needs to successfully jump over to move forward.
Meanwhile, whether solar farms should be allowed âby rightâ as a permitted use or reviewed under a potentially more restrictive âconditional useâ process arose several times again before the Jefferson County Planning Commission.
During a public hearing last week that drew comments from 16 people, several residents repeated recommendations from earlier public hearings and workshops that a proposed zoning ordinance change that would govern whether and how such solar farms operate in the county should be approved as a conditional use.
PSC approves siting certificate for Jefferson County solar project By
A solar farm EDF Renewables operates near Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo/EDF Renewables)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. The state Public Service Commission has approved the siting certificate for a large solar farm being planned for Jefferson County.
The $125 million Wild Hill Solar project will produce 92.5 megawatts emission-free energy and is expected to generate $134 million to the local economy, including $175,000 in property tax revenues to Jefferson County in the first year.
EDF Renewables plans to build the solar farm which will employ 237,552 solar panels near Washington High School.
In its approval, issued Friday, the PSC said similar projects “typically benefit the local area through taxes collected, payment in lieu of taxes or charitable giving by the company. Areas where these projects are built also typically experience increased retail spending during the construction phase.”
CHARLES TOWN â Nearby homeowners came with various questions and concerns, and the developer of a proposed 795-acre industrial solar farm offered answers.
Intrusive noise or nighttime lighting. Damage to nearby water wells or septic systems. Security cameras facing nearby homes. Could any of these, some residents asked, disrupt or disturb homeowners near the $125 million Wild Hill Solar project proposed for farmland off Kabletown Road outside Charles Town?
âItâs in our back yard essentially,â commented Tina Krop, one of a few residents of the Cloverdale Heights subdivision near the farmland where the Wild Hill Solar project would be built starting next fall. âI just feel like the lack of information is the biggest thing for us.â