Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Hanover supervisors deny 72‑MW North Anna River solar project after hours-long hearing
Summary
After hours of testimony and technical debate, the Hanover County Board of Supervisors voted to deny a conditional use permit for a 72‑megawatt solar facility along the North Anna River, citing risks to the river, erosion-control concerns and the Beaver Dam district's preference to preserve rural character.
Hanover County supervisors voted Sept. 25 to deny a conditional use permit for the proposed North Anna River Solar project, a 72‑megawatt utility‑scale facility Strata Clean Energy had proposed for roughly 1,527 acres in the Beaver Dam area.
The decision follows a lengthy staff briefing, a technical presentation from the developer and more than an hour of public comment that included neighbors, subject‑matter witnesses and county officials. Opponents raised worries about stormwater management, runoff and water‑temperature effects on the North Anna River, potential impacts to habitat and archeological features, road safety during construction, and the long‑term decommissioning and monitoring of the site. The Beaver Dam supervisor moved to deny the permit; the motion carried.
Why it mattered
Strata had revised the project after initial review, shrinking the array area from 342 acres to 252 acres while retaining the 72‑MW capacity by using taller, double‑row trackers. The company…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
