Solar farm developer cited for western Virginia environmental violations (2024)

FAQs

Solar farm developer cited for western Virginia environmental violations? ›

A developer of solar farms, including ones in Henry and Wythe counties, allowed stormwater to flow uncontrolled from construction sites, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Energix US will pay a $158,000 fine for violating erosion and sediment control regulations at seven sites.

Many people are against them because they think they take up too much space, they can be an eyesore, and they can impact property values. In addition, solar farms can interfere with farming and other land uses, be a danger to wildlife, and create a lot of heat – both in the daytime and at night.

As with any type of power plant, large solar power plants can affect the environment at or near their locations. Clearing land for a power plant may have long-term effects on the habitats of native plants and animals.

Clearing an area of trees or other vegetation to install solar panels can have a significant impact on local ecosystems. In addition, the construction of roads and transmission lines necessary to support large-scale solar energy development can fragment habitats, disturb wildlife, and introduce non-native species.

The largest solar facility in the works in Virginia is Dominion's 800-megawatt Randolph Solar project in Charlotte County, which would be composed of 4,500 acres of fenced-in solar panels plus thousands more acres of buffers and preserved land.

Contrary to common solar myths about harmful chemicals, the materials used to make solar panels are sealed and contained so they do not negatively affect the surrounding area. Solar panels contain a variety of materials, including silicon and different types of metals.

Some of the cons of solar energy are: the cost of adding solar, depends on sunlight, space constraints, solar energy storage is expensive, installation can be difficult and environmental impact of manufacturing and disposing panels.

The act of producing one ton of polysilicon leads to three to four tons of silicon tetrachloride waste. In fact, solar produces 300 times more toxic waste per unit of energy than does nuclear energy, according to Environmental Progress, a Berkeley, California, nonprofit that supports the expanded use of nuclear energy.

When reviewing whether property value declines differ based on state, urbanicity of the home, size of the solar farm, or previous land use of the site of the solar farm, the researchers found no changes for property values in California, Connecticut or Massachusetts.

Major Solar Bankruptcies include:

Harness Power – California. NM Solar Group – New Mexico. ASA – American Solar Advantage – California. Kuubix Energy – California.

Is Virginia a good state for solar? ›

While Virginia isn't a sun-soaked state, Virginia hits the national average for sunlight at 205 days of sunlight per year. Late spring through late fall are good times for solar panels in Virginia. Homeowners can count on at least 7 hours of sunlight throughout that time.

California tops the list when it comes to solar energy friendliness. With nearly 150 sunny days per year along with an already robust solar system, job market and investments into the solar space, California is an ideal state for installing solar panels.

Virginia offers three solar incentives to residents who install solar: a property tax exemption, Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), and net metering. These incentives can be combined with the 30% federal solar tax credit to further decrease the cost of going solar.

The dynamic encapsulates the industry's biggest obstacle to growth: Solar farms require huge amounts of land, and there's a fast-growing movement, fueled by politicized social-media campaigns, to prevent solar developers from permitting new sites in rural America.

Why don't we use more renewable energy? It all comes down to cost and infrastructure. Ultimately, the biggest hindrance to the development of renewable energy is its cost and logistical barriers.

3. Solar projects should not be placed near wetlands, rivers, streams, tributaries to avoid immediate damage to water quality, and possible contamination-ecological disasters. Uncontrolled runoff of water and topsoil is a well-documented byproduct of industrial-scale solar site development.

In fact, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), six States are simply not good for solar panel installation: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.