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AES updates supervisors on Keydet solar construction; Keydet South awaits final Army Corps and VDOT approvals
Summary
AES project manager Madeline Ray told the board Keydet North construction began in May and should reach major completion by late December; Keydet South will start after final Army Corps and VDOT approvals. Ray listed required permits and emphasized site safety and erosion controls; a board member confirmed Hops Lane is a private easement to be managed by the project.
CHARLES CITY, Va. — AES told the Charles City County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 24 that construction of the Keydet North portion of the county’s Keydet solar project began in May and that major construction work should be complete by late December or early January, with seeding and closeout activities extending into 2025.
Madeline Ray, the project’s permanent project manager for AES, said the overall project is split into Keydet North (under construction) and Keydet South (which will begin when remaining permits are issued). Ray listed several required permits and approvals already obtained or pending: the county special use permit (issued in 2022), land disturbance and stormwater approvals, a State Construction General Permit, encroachment and site entrance permits from VDOT, and nationwide permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for minor wetland and stream impacts. She also described a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the State Corporation Commission for major generation projects.
Ray detailed construction sequencing (stormwater protections, detention basins, access roads, pile driving and module placement), the contractor’s emphasis on safety, and the company’s local community contributions from earlier AES projects. Board members asked how road repairs and public roadway impacts would be handled after construction; AES said the Hops Lane access being used is a private easement associated with the project and will be managed for the project’s life, and that crews would address public concerns about dust, mud and safe vehicle operations.
Ray offered the project team’s public-engagement manager, Richard Lambert, as a contact for questions and encouraged residents to follow up after the meeting. The board thanked AES for the update and asked staff to ensure direct contact with attendees who had raised concerns.
The update did not change any permits or approvals; Keydet South’s schedule is tied to final regulatory approvals. The board recorded the briefing and took no formal action on permits during the meeting.
