By Stephen Smoot
The part of Hardy County with some of the oldest cultivated fields in the state will soon see one of the newest major developments. Like Jefferson and Hampshire counties before it, Hardy County’s abundant land and sunny days have attracted the attention of developers interested in the installation of solar energy producing fields.
Old Fields Solar held an information event last week at Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College. They issued letters of invitation to those considered neighbors to the project that were further shared online. “This event . . . is designed to share information with you regarding the project, MN8 Energy, and the process underway to permit and construct the facility.”
Erik Duncan Sr., senior manager for development at MN8 and part of the project team, shared that the project will have “unique aspects.” The total facility will cover 1,500 acres, but solar production will take up a portion of that. Land surrounding the facility will be used for sheep-grazing.
The sheep will serve as part of agricultural production while also mitigating the usual noise and emissions of mechanical grass-cutting.
Lois Carr from the Potomac Valley Conservation District expressed doubts that sheep-grazing could work in the vicinity of the panels. She stated that “most sheep farmers know this won’t work. Sheep like to chew on wiring or whatever is available.”
Duncan also explained that while they pledged a 150-foot barrier between the panels and neighbors, the true distance in almost every case would be 400 to 500 feet.
As for the facility itself, it has been designated a 250 MW capable plant. Duncan shared that the infrastructure would have a 35-year life cycle with a likely extension to 50 with advances in technology. MN8’s SEC filing also included an expectation of relying on improving technology.
Duncan elaborated on the expected economic impact that includes 300 construction jobs, a $430 million total investment, $10 million from the project’s PILOT status to the county for the first 20 years, and nine permanent jobs with a number of support opportunities for local businesses.
With solar energy production facilities already under construction over and above MN8’s plans, locals have shared concerns. “Building solar farms takes up large areas of open spaces including grasslands and croplands, which impacts the ecosystem,” explained Carr. “It uses the land that we use for growing food and serves for habitats for local plant and animal species.”
Carr echoed the worries of others that “these farms are being placed in undeveloped land that is far away from commercial areas and cities,” which means that “large plots are more affordable” and “makes it easier for companies to manage their significant energy inputs if they are all in one space.”
Kristina Dename joined the MN8 team in Moorefield last week as the environmental representative with the role of explaining the potential impact and mitigations that will be performed by the company.
According to Dename, the project will operate under the authority of the West Virginia Public Service District. Recent state legislation limits the role of the Hardy County Commission, in this case, to present obstacles to it. She explained that MN8 has been working with state agencies such as the Department of Natural Resources and the State Historic Preservation Office as it works through permitting and other issues
Dename also explained that the 1,500 acre project has been envisioned as one that combines solar energy production with an agricultural aspect.
An area County Commissioner expressed concern last year during a regular meeting about chemicals leaching from panels during rain and other weather events. Additionally, Carr shared that there had been seen in some cases “high readings of zinc in soil samples” that can come from galvanized metal.
Zinc can serve as a permanent problem, Carr stated, explaining that “zinc may be an essential micronutrient, but if too much leaches into the soil, there is no way of getting it out, resulting in poor quality soil.”
She also shared worries that large enough facilities can “also heat the surrounding air, which negatively affects air quality and has a ripple effect on the area’s ecosystem.”
Duncan replied when queried that panels had that issues prior to technological advancements in production 20 years ago and that they now use impervious glass, plastic, and metal in their devices.
Planning has gone into how the facility will manage surrounding grasslands, beyond sheep-grazing. MN8 will use what it calls a “solar mix” of “typically low-growing plants.” It will also use special “pollinator” blends that include “a variety of flowering species . . . that provide for optimal nutrition throughout the growing season.”
Other mixes that will be used include “deer resistant,” “honey bee forage,” and “upland meadow.”
Carr reported that some farmers who have already signed leases for such projects “are having problems with their leases concerning payments, some are not even receiving payments.” She also noted that some area lawyers had difficulty interpreting the contracts.
While power generation has emerged as a policy goal for Governor Patrick Morrisey, his 50 gigawatts by 2050 plan does not include allowing for solar or other green energy to contribute to it. In a news release last month, Morrisey stated that “this plan focuses primarily on baseload generation from coal, natural gas and nuclear. It is critical to our way of life and provides a stable backbone to the grid.”
Morrisey’s goal includes using expanded power to serve data centers expected to be built in West Virginia, as well as exporting for profit to those already in operation in Northern Virginia.
