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Residents press board to deny Rocky Run solar; AES rep defends Great Creek project
Summary
At the December supervisors meeting, residents urged denial of large-scale solar projects (Rocky Run and Zeus), citing forest loss, fire and wildlife risks and alleged developer-favorable contract terms; AES's representative and a local attorney defended the smaller Great Creek and Brightleaf projects and said they have engaged the community for two years.
Several Brunswick County residents told the Board of Supervisors at its December meeting they oppose proposed utility-scale solar developments, while developer representatives urged the board to proceed with careful review and public hearings.
Ann Moore, a resident of Lawrenceville, said signatures are being collected for a petition to be submitted in January and asked why she was denied access to the signing agreement for the Rocky Run project. Moore said the acreage at issue is “slightly larger than the entire city of Alexandria” and warned that cutting forests for solar would cause “monumental environmental impacts,” adding, “These projects represent a city of solar panels.” She said the contract terms she had seen were skewed toward the developer and gave the zoning administrator excessive discretion.
Another resident, Vicky Oakley of Triplett Road, echoed concerns about forest clearing, wildlife displacement and fire response, asked whether board members had inspected properties that include nearby homes and said she feared reduced property values.
Jason Gornera, representing AES Corporation and the Great Creek Solar project, said AES has worked with the county for more than two years, performed environmental studies and conducted community engagement to meet ordinance conditions. He said the company renamed the project from Mount Zion to Great Creek to avoid confusion with a local church and described the project as one of the smaller proposals for the county. “We have been working with the county now for over 2 years,” Gornera said.
Local attorney Robert Hawthorne Jr., who said he represents both developers and landowners in Southside Virginia, spoke in favor of the AES Great Creek project and the smaller Brightleaf Solar project, called the projects “small” in scale relative to other proposals, and said the developers intend to address community concerns and work with nearby schools.
Speakers raised procedural questions including public access to developer agreements and whether the county’s public-hearing schedule allows adequate time for stakeholder review. Board members did not take formal action on any of the solar proposals at the meeting; staff indicated a public hearing could be scheduled in January and petition submissions are expected then.
