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Mecklenburg planning commission denies Finney Wood solar proposal citing ecological and river‑corridor concerns
Summary
The Mecklenburg County Planning Commission voted to deny a Dominion Energy proposal to site a roughly 98 MW photovoltaic project on about 997 acres, citing ecological cores and proximity to waterways identified in state natural‑land assessments and the Scenic River corridor.
The Mecklenburg County Planning Commission on Aug. 1 voted to deny an application for the Finney Wood utility‑scale solar project after a public hearing in which developers, local business advocates and multiple neighbors spoke.
The commission’s resolution, adopted after a staff‑prepared report and public comment, said portions of the project site lie in areas the Virginia Natural Landscape Assessment identifies as having “high and moderate ecological cores” and that parts of the property are within the Virginia natural land network. The resolution noted the site’s proximity to Finney Wood Creek and the South Meherrin River, which the commission said could be affected if contamination or sediment left the site.
Why it matters: The denial halts a project the developer said would add local generation to meet Dominion Energy’s growing peak demand and that the developer estimated would produce up to 98 MW (AC), generate county revenue and create construction contracts and wages for local businesses.
Dominion Energy representatives described the…
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