One concern of moving toward utility-scale solar that is not often discussed is its potential damage to the ecological health of the Chesapeake Bay. Sixty percent of Virginia’s land mass is in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, meaning that anything going into those rivers and streams is eventually deposited in the Bay. The challenge with utility-scale solar is that stormwater, run-off, and erosion have proven to be a significant concern in every large-scale solar project constructed in Virginia so far. (This television report about Louisa County is just one example.)
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has long worked to improve the ecological health of the Bay, including focusing on the damage caused by excess sedimentation flows into the bay. (Visit its website to learn more about how you can help!)
This map shows the counties in the Bay’s watershed and how much utility-scale solar is projected for each one, based on what solar developers have filed with electricity grid regulators. In all, this represents over 220,000 acres that will be covered by impermeable solar panels, which will worsen the stormwater and run-off problems already experienced to date.
