“We appreciate the opportunity to talk to the Board,” shared a representative of MN8, the corporation leading development of a solar farm near Old Fields. A team of officials from the company came to update the Board of Education and Superintendent, as well as answer any questions posed.
He described a “pivot” in the project after meetings and conversations with residents who both supported and opposed the building of the facility. Some of the changes reflect attempts to move in the direction of those who oppose the project.
“We’re having a lot of conversations,” the official stated, “we’re taking them into account.”
One key complaint lay in questions about who would use the power generated, even though exported goods and services do bring money into the area. Originally, the project envisioned using an established line running generally from east to west. Since that point, MN8 has gained access to a north and south running line.
“All energy produced in the project will be serving Moorefield and Hardy County,” the official stated. He shared that Hardy County has approximately 7,500 residential occupants. He added that the project should eventually serve all residences in Hardy County and even beyond.
He also noted that the project had reduced the original “footprint.”
The original timeline agreed to by multistate regional power distributor PJM, a “substantial” two years, will remain in place despite the “pivot” to a different line.
One aspect that will not change, MN8 will enter power purchase agreements that guarantee that the facility will have its production purchased for between 15 and 20 years.
MN8 expects to file for support from the West Virginia Public Service Commission in the second quarter of 2026. If approved, construction will commence in early 2028 with a completion date forecast for either 2029 or 2030.
MN8 representatives then discussed how the school system should benefit from the $400 million project over the project’s lifespan. About $10 million could come in over the 20 years with likely more coming afterward. Officials also shared that 300 construction jobs would employ many for about 18 months. After construction, nine or 10 permanent full-time jobs would be available.
“We aim to hire locally whenever feasible,” officials stated. On top of direct employment, they listed a number of needs that would have to be met by local contractors.
“We know agriculture is very important to the community here,” stated one of the representatives. He went on to explain that MN8 has started work with agriculture consultants to develop “a concept grazing plan.” MN8 plans to use herds of sheep to keep grass down around the panels and has opened discussions with area sheep farmers to help take care of them during the winter months.
When asked about beekeeping, officials stated that the landowners themselves could agree to placement of hives. He added that increasing the number of “pollinators” was part of the agriculture vision.
While eight foot fencing will protect both the equipment and the sheep, Board members mused that they could remain vulnerable to predators. Some suggested that donkeys could keep coyotes away while another did not worry about those creatures, but feared that “a bear would climb that eight foot fence like a joke.”
The official said of the consultants assisting with the plan that “They are farmers themselves. They are local.”
A Board member raised the point that Hardy County no longer has many sheep farmers, but that remains a significant part of Pendleton County’s economy. Options for help may exist there.
Other concerns related to the visibility of the project. Photographs of a similar project in Hampshire County soured some area residents on the potential aesthetics after construction. “We’ve already implemented setbacks to help with aesthetics” that he stated are “well beyond industry standards.”
Plans will “leverage” terrain features to “mitigate concern about visual landscapes.
This led directly into another subject of serious concern to Hardy County residents, the fate of the facility once no longer in use. Officials stated that most likely another firm would buy the farm if the current ownership was no longer willing and/or able to operate it.
Should that not occur, a plan approved by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection would kick in. A firm will assess the cost of decommissioning, then subtract the possible salvage value from that number. The remainder is what the company must set aside to pay for decommissioning. Every five years that process gets reevaluated to ensure that the fund in place would cover the work.
Furthermore, they explained that no “large amounts of concrete” will scar the land. The panels will rest on I-beams for support to ensure a “minimal impact on the land.”
Conversation then turned to the proposed avenue of a PILOT agreement. Both PILOT and PILT refer to “payment in lieu of taxes,” but refer to different types of arrangements. PILT is the replacement money for property taxes paid to local governments by the federal government for its property in that jurisdiction.
PILOT agreements are made between local and/or state governments on one hand and private developers on the other. One such agreement in Harrison County has brought millions in investment and hundreds of jobs to a massive tract near Bridgeport.
MN8 envisions an agreement with both the Hardy County Commission and Hardy County Schools. Though it could cut out the school system entirely, the MN8 representative stated “our very strong preference is to have both the County Commission and school board in agreement.”
“There’s a lot of flexibility” in how the agreement can be set,” he said, but added “we need to figure out what’s best for everyone.” School officials noted that the arrangement could trigger a reduction of funding under the 10 point school aid formula used by the state and MN8 agreed that would not be productive. The flexibility in creating the agreement, however, could help avoid that.
One tough question came at the end from a Board member who queried about the response from the general public.
“It’s mixed,” the MN8 representative admitted, “there certainly seem to be some folks opposed to it.” He went on to relate that “once we get the facts out there and get the messaging out, some of it will subdue. Our job is to engage those questions and concerns.”
Another official added “we want to do the right thing.”
