Surry County supervisors have rejected a solar project across the street from the historic Bacon’s Castle homestead, according to the Smithfield Times.

The County’s review of the proposal noted several problems. The developer, Pine Gate Renewables, had proposed installing the solar field on a 220-acre parcel that included prime agricultural land taken out of production in anticipation of project’s approval. The solar field would also have been less than 200 feet away from over two dozen residential properties and within the view shed of Bacon’s Castle, the oldest brick residence in the United States and built about 1665.

Key elements of the proposal were still “to be developed” when the Surry County Board of Supervisors reviewed it. This included the erosion and sediment control plan, a critical step in preventing stormwater overflow into the nearby James River, which is in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Read the entire article here:

Proposed solar farm near Bacon’s Castle voted down

Surry County supervisors voted on Jan. 5 to officially reject a solar farm proposed for a 220-acre parcel across the street from the 17th century Bacon’s Castle homestead. The supervisors had previously considered the project in June, when (…) (click here to read more)

Another article on the Boydton utility-scale solar proposal. The project would have clear-cut nearly 500 acres of forested land. The board decided this would have caused erosion and stormwater runoff that would have contaminated Lake Gaston and several area creeks.

Read the full article from the South Hill Enterprise here:

Board denies Antler’s Road solar project appeal. By Jami Snead, South Hill Enterprise, 10 Jan 2023

A public hearing was held in regards to an appeal submitted by Antler’s Road Solar, LLC (RWE Renewable Americas, LLC) asking the Board to reconsider an application denial by the Planning Commission. The request is for a 90 MW solar facility to be placed in the west side of Antler’s Road (Route 633), one mile south of the highway 58 intersection.

Ann Neil Cosby, a land use attorney with Wire Gill out of northern Virginia, asked the board to reconsider based on the different location from previously denied solar projects. “The density requirements and some of the impacts are different so we think you really need to understand the difference in this project from the beginning.”

The request was denied by the planning commission based on the removal of 489.04 acres of agriculture property and Mines Creek being located on the property, which leads to Allen Creek and then to the Roanoke River. (…) (Click here to continue reading)

The Mecklenburg Board of Supervisors has rejected a utility-scale solar project that would have covered 1,000 acres of forested land near Boydton. The county planning commission determined that the project did not conform with the county’s comprehensive plan and that there was strong potential for contamination of several creeks and Lake Gaston from soil erosion and stormwater run-off.

Read the entire article here:

Mecklenburg supes reject Boydton area solar project. Proximity to creeks, agricultural impact stir opposition from residents. SOVANow, 11 Jan 2023

The Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors on Monday voted down a utility-scale solar project proposed for more than 1,000 acres of forested land near Boydton.

By a vote of 6-0, supervisors agreed with the findings of the county’s planning commission which determined in December that the 90-megawatt solar facility on Antlers Road near Boydton did not conform with Mecklenburg County’s comprehensive plan. Supervisors agreed that the project would remove nearly 500 acres of prime farmland from agricultural use and potentially contaminate several creeks and Lake Gaston due to soil erosion.

Supervisors Charles Jones and Sterling Wilkinson were (…) (click here to keep reading)