Residents in Pittsylvania County are pushing back after the Board of Supervisors greenlighted three more industrial-scale solar projects across the county. One of these is the Firefly project, under development by the Canadian firm Recurrent Solar and slated for a 3,700-acre tract east of Danville.
Residents concerned after Pittsylvania County approves locations for solar farms
The Planning Commission will hold another hearing on solar projects in general on Tuesday, 1 March 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
Representatives of Recurrent Solar have told residents that, once constructed, solar projects produce no pollution. “Once constructed” is important to note, since all large solar projects in Virginia to date have produced excessive amounts of stormwater overflow and runoff, damaging neighboring properties, streams, and watersheds. (A large-scale solar project in Louisa County, for instance, has caused significant runoff that has routinely flooded neighboring properties.)
In addition, the representatives have told residents that vegetation can grow under the solar panels. However, the American Planning Association warns that the significant re-grading and removal of topsoil and vegetation has long-term negative impacts because it changes the natural characteristics of the soil, making it difficult to restore the land to its previous condition.
In all, developers are currently building four large-scale solar projects in Pittsylvania County, with at least 18 more approved and planned for future construction.
