Strata Clean Energy’s zoning request tied to a proposed solar facility on 1,500 acres outside Beaverdam in Hanover is expected to be considered by the Planning Commission Thursday. (Google Maps)
A large solar energy facility planned on Hanover’s northwestern edge is up for a review by the county Planning Commission.
Strata Clean Energy is seeking zoning approval to build a solar farm on a 1,500-acre site east of Ben Gayle Road and just north of its intersection with Beaverdam Road. The solar panels would occupy about 340 acres of the overall project site, according to a staff report.
Hanover planning commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote Thursday on whether to recommend the proposal’s approval to the Board of Supervisors, which is expected to weigh final approval at a future date.
Strata intends to start construction of the North Anna River Solar project by early 2027 and plans for the facility to be operational by 2028, pending county approvals. The proposed 72-megawatt facility would be able to power 18,000 homes for 35 years, said Morgan Quicke, Strata’s manager of local government affairs.
The project is currently anticipated to cost between $130 million and $160 million.
Strata filed a conditional use permit request earlier this year needed to allow the project on land that’s zoned agricultural (A-1). Quicke said the company has held four community meetings ahead of the Planning Commission’s consideration. A fifth community meeting was planned to take place last night.
Solar arrays would be established on about 340 acres of the overall project site. (County documents)
Strata anticipates it will lease the majority of the 1,500-acre project site on which it will build the solar facility, though the company’s plans also involve the acquisition of about 100 acres of the site. The site’s acreage consists of multiple parcels split between two private owners, with only one landholder willing to sell, said Laura Wilson, Strata senior business development manager.
Whether Strata would own the Hanover facility on a long-term basis or sell it to Dominion Energy, which has been done before with other Strata solar projects in Virginia, is still being determined. If Strata retained the solar farm, the company would sell the electrical energy generated to Dominion.
“Typically in Virginia, the model is to sell to Dominion,” Wilson said. “I will say there have been conversations with Dominion, they are aware of this project. We have floated it to them as something that they might be interested in buying.”
Quicke said Strata is taking pains to minimize the environmental impacts of the project, which sits on the North Anna River that separates Hanover and Caroline counties. Strata says more than half of the project site would remain undeveloped, and would feature wildlife corridors. The project is planned to have setbacks of at least 500 feet from residences and have environmental buffers within the site.
The project site was selected for its size and the presence of an existing electrical transmission line that cuts through the property.
Noting that solar energy proposals frequently meet opposition from residents, Quicke said the company’s approach is to highlight to local officials the economic benefits of facilities and relatively lower effect on county services compared to other economic development projects.
“We’re not seen in the same ways that Amazons and Microsofts are in what they’re bringing, but it is a big focus point for us that we’re economic development,” Quicke said. “We have a facility that will be a fairly passive use of land for a long period of time, providing (tax) revenue to a locality that doesn’t need your schools and your fire departments.”
The Hanover project wouldn’t be the first in the Richmond region for Strata, a Durham, North Carolina-based firm founded in 2008. The company built Dominion’s Dry Bridge Battery Energy Storage System facility in Chesterfield, which became operational in late 2022. Strata also constructed the Scott Solar facility in Powhatan and Correctional Solar facility in New Kent, which are both owned by Dominion.
Strata Clean Energy’s zoning request tied to a proposed solar facility on 1,500 acres outside Beaverdam in Hanover is expected to be considered by the Planning Commission Thursday. (Google Maps)
A large solar energy facility planned on Hanover’s northwestern edge is up for a review by the county Planning Commission.
Strata Clean Energy is seeking zoning approval to build a solar farm on a 1,500-acre site east of Ben Gayle Road and just north of its intersection with Beaverdam Road. The solar panels would occupy about 340 acres of the overall project site, according to a staff report.
Hanover planning commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote Thursday on whether to recommend the proposal’s approval to the Board of Supervisors, which is expected to weigh final approval at a future date.
Strata intends to start construction of the North Anna River Solar project by early 2027 and plans for the facility to be operational by 2028, pending county approvals. The proposed 72-megawatt facility would be able to power 18,000 homes for 35 years, said Morgan Quicke, Strata’s manager of local government affairs.
The project is currently anticipated to cost between $130 million and $160 million.
Strata filed a conditional use permit request earlier this year needed to allow the project on land that’s zoned agricultural (A-1). Quicke said the company has held four community meetings ahead of the Planning Commission’s consideration. A fifth community meeting was planned to take place last night.
Solar arrays would be established on about 340 acres of the overall project site. (County documents)
Strata anticipates it will lease the majority of the 1,500-acre project site on which it will build the solar facility, though the company’s plans also involve the acquisition of about 100 acres of the site. The site’s acreage consists of multiple parcels split between two private owners, with only one landholder willing to sell, said Laura Wilson, Strata senior business development manager.
Whether Strata would own the Hanover facility on a long-term basis or sell it to Dominion Energy, which has been done before with other Strata solar projects in Virginia, is still being determined. If Strata retained the solar farm, the company would sell the electrical energy generated to Dominion.
“Typically in Virginia, the model is to sell to Dominion,” Wilson said. “I will say there have been conversations with Dominion, they are aware of this project. We have floated it to them as something that they might be interested in buying.”
Quicke said Strata is taking pains to minimize the environmental impacts of the project, which sits on the North Anna River that separates Hanover and Caroline counties. Strata says more than half of the project site would remain undeveloped, and would feature wildlife corridors. The project is planned to have setbacks of at least 500 feet from residences and have environmental buffers within the site.
The project site was selected for its size and the presence of an existing electrical transmission line that cuts through the property.
Noting that solar energy proposals frequently meet opposition from residents, Quicke said the company’s approach is to highlight to local officials the economic benefits of facilities and relatively lower effect on county services compared to other economic development projects.
“We’re not seen in the same ways that Amazons and Microsofts are in what they’re bringing, but it is a big focus point for us that we’re economic development,” Quicke said. “We have a facility that will be a fairly passive use of land for a long period of time, providing (tax) revenue to a locality that doesn’t need your schools and your fire departments.”
The Hanover project wouldn’t be the first in the Richmond region for Strata, a Durham, North Carolina-based firm founded in 2008. The company built Dominion’s Dry Bridge Battery Energy Storage System facility in Chesterfield, which became operational in late 2022. Strata also constructed the Scott Solar facility in Powhatan and Correctional Solar facility in New Kent, which are both owned by Dominion.
Question: I Am all for green energy, i’m just wondering is there any way for counties and cities to incetivise putting solar farms on large open parking lots as well as on top of large surface space buildings? It would reduce deforestation and lost of farm land but also provide shade for vehicles. Just a thought
I like the idea but there’s a lot of infrastructure that goes into commercial solar energy production compared to say the panels someone might have on a home. Spreading that out over many locations would probably not make solar financial viable.
The reality is that the Solar Companies look for the largest tracts of land crossing or adjacent to High Power Transmission Lines. These tend to be Timber Farms so the County trades trees for mirrors.
What will be critical, and it’s not mentioned in the article, is whether the panels will be fixed or rotating. Rotating panels require much more earthwork and ground disturbance; done incorrectly which has happened to Dominion with a Purcell Tract you end-up with runoff and erosion.
Best worst example- the way Louisa County has approved solar sites, relying on inadequate state environmental regulations (since somewhat improved) and nonexistent state enforcement of requirements. Formerly the state treated the panels as permeable area resulting in huge stormwater problems. Also in Louisa County approving sites too small for adequate buffers and conditions to mitigate the effects; inadequate remediation following the cessation of use of the site….etc. Sites are usually developed then sold to the utility. Permits valid for 30 years or more.
how are they not permeable area? They aren’t paved I’m sure?
Yes, they were planned to be tracking (rotating) panels, which I also have heard are noisy when they rotate(?)
a good idea, problem would be minimum size at a guess. Tough to find 1500 acre parking lots. And you would need a lot of space for the infrastructure, ex panels.
I like the idea, but I worry the numbers don’t work
I have been told that the fire risk (panels/electrical connections overheat or have an arc fault) is too great to place a large number of panels on top of a large (warehouse type) building. They would not be able to afford the insurance!
Let’s do the math…. 18,000 homes will be served on 1500 acres, for 35 years. That’s only 12 homes per acre of land. What happens to the solar panels after 35 years, (keeping in mind that solar panels have toxic materials)? Will they be removed and recycled? Let’s put this in perspective. The Lake Anna nuclear plants have been operating for over 35 years and have had their permits extended. Furthermore, the Lake Anna nuclear plant serves 450,000 homes on 9500 acres. That’s 48 homes per acre, four times more per acre than the solar farm will support! I would… Read more »
The anticipated lifespan of those plants was 30 years. If you recall, during the 2011 earthquake, several of the buildings cracked, spent fuel tanks shifted, and tritium leaked into the groundwater. This is concerning as well because Dominion paid a hefty fine for hiding the fact that the facility was built on a known fault line.
If we factor in the construction and running costs, solar will come out cheaper. You also missed out the toxic materials that nuclear plants have. Solar panel recycling has come on a long way and will continue to do so. Solar panels are also not dead at the end of 35 years, just a little bit less efficient. They my well have many more years of generation beyond this.
nuclear is great. We need more of it. Solar complements it if done well.
let’s have more of both.
Replacing carbon sequestering trees with a solar farm filled with low lifespan solar panels. Serving homes, or serving the ever more greedy data centers?
doesn’t matter really. More clean electricity is good for civilization, and for the planet. And trees give off carbon when they rot.
The energy isn’t really “clean” and “good for the planet” considering the wide ranging environmental effects of the mining and manufacturing behind the finished products.
offhand this seems great. Green power and taxes for Hanover