Russell County approves two 5 MW community solar siting agreements after public review, adds volunteer-fire funding

The Russell County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve siting agreements for two 5-megawatt community solar projects proposed by New Leaf Energy near River Mountain Road, authorizing local permits and adding a voluntary payment to county volunteer fire and emergency services.

The projects—River Mountain Solar 1 LLC and River Mountain Solar 2 LLC—are each described in the presentation as roughly 5 megawatts, with about 24 acres fenced and approximately 7–8 acres of panel array footprint. Jessie Robinson, senior project developer with New Leaf Energy, told the board the projects have already secured capacity under Appalachian Power’s new shared-solar program and that each 5-MW site could support about 1,000 residential subscribers in the program. “There’s no cost to subscribe,” Robinson said, describing the sign-up as first-come, first-served for eligible Appalachian Power customers and adding that the company would prioritize Russell County residents when subscribers are selected.

Robinson outlined benefits included in the siting agreement: a $20,000-per-megawatt payment to the county (roughly $100,000 per project), a $50,000-per-project allowance to reimburse site-plan or inspection costs (with unused funds to the county), a local-first subscription commitment, potential expanded local tax revenue, and an offer to make community donations—Robinson cited a possible $5,000 contribution per project to the Belfast‑Rosedale Volunteer Fire Department.

Scott Foster, advising the developer on legal terms through Gentry Locke, described how the community payments would be handled: “So we pay the county, out of the time assigned to the site in agreement, then you all make that allocation as part of your annual budget process,” he said, adding that New Leaf would pass funds to the county and the county would allocate them to local needs. Foster also walked the board through decommissioning surety and other contract safeguards: a decommissioning bond must be posted and be in a form satisfactory to the county attorney before construction begins.

Developers and county staff said the projects would use panels that meet EPA toxicity/leaching standards and that equipment warranties typically cover 25 years, with leases commonly written for 20 years plus options extending up to 40 years. Robinson said New Leaf will include a requirement to select “tier 1” panels with tempered glass and industry testing; she described monitoring and local tech contracts for maintenance and replacement.

Public comment at the meeting included residents, local business voices and representatives of pro‑solar groups. Ben Wilson, with Energy Right, told supervisors he supports property owners’ ability to monetize land and urged the board to weigh local tax and utility bill savings. “Please consider the rights of the property owner,” Wilson said. Several neighbors and local leaders also raised questions about how community donations would be allocated to volunteer fire departments across the county and asked how subscribers will be notified and what happens at end of life for the equipment.

After the developer and counsel answered questions from supervisors and the public, the board voted separately on the two siting agreements. Each motion approved the siting agreement as amended at the meeting to include an additional voluntary payment: $25,000 per project, payable upon receipt of building permits, to be allocated by the county to volunteer fire and emergency services. Both motions carried on roll-call votes with all supervisors present voting in favor.

The projects remain subject to site-plan review, standard county permitting and the interconnection process with Appalachian Power. New Leaf said it is already progressing on the site plan with county staff and that construction would follow required approvals. The developers also said the shared-solar program in Appalachian Power territory is capped at 50 megawatts; the two River Mountain projects together would occupy 10 megawatts of that cap. Robinson said if local demand for subscriptions exceeds the projects’ capacity, the county’s subscribers could be connected to other projects participating in the program or the state could expand program capacity in the future.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of agenda with additions — motion passed by roll call at start of meeting. - River Mountain Solar 1 LLC siting agreement (5 MW) — approved (motion included amendment adding a $25,000 voluntary payment to county to be allocated to volunteer fire/emergency services upon issuance of building permits). Vote: unanimous yes by supervisors present. - River Mountain Solar 2 LLC siting agreement (5 MW) — approved (same amendment and funding terms as project 1). Vote: unanimous yes by supervisors present. - Several routine items also approved during the meeting (minutes, expenditures, committee and board appointments); see meeting record for full list and vote tallies.

Why it matters

County officials and the developer emphasized two immediate local effects: potential reductions in residential electricity bills for Appalachian Power customers who subscribe, and upfront and recurring payments that the county can use for operations, inspections and targeted community support. Supervisors and residents repeatedly raised the volunteer-fire funding question; the board’s amendment creates a guaranteed, project-linked transfer of funds to local emergency services once the projects reach the building-permit stage.

What’s next

New Leaf and its engineers said they are continuing county site-plan work and permitting. The projects must complete the county review and the utility interconnection process before construction. The siting agreements also require a decommissioning surety to be posted before construction and include provisions on panel selection, end-of-life removal and recycling. The county will announce subscription details when the developer and Appalachian Power enable enrollment.

Sources and limitations

This article draws on the Russell County Board of Supervisors public meeting on Oct. 6, 2025 (transcript of presentations, public comments and roll-call votes) and on statements by Jessie Robinson (New Leaf Energy) and Scott Foster (Gentry Locke). It reports approvals and motions recorded during the meeting and summarizes items that remain subject to future permit and interconnection processes. Where the transcript did not specify a figure or timeline precisely, the article states the board’s and developer’s publicly stated estimates (for example, program caps, payment schedules and lease terms) and flags those as estimates in the text.

Ending note

Supervisors said they expect follow-up briefings from county staff and New Leaf Energy as site-plan reviews and interconnection work proceed and when subscriber enrollment opens.