Developers present proposed 100‑acre solar+storage project; residents and tribal representatives urge studies and safeguards

Synergy Power representatives presented details of a proposed solar and battery storage facility near General Thomas Highway on May 27 during a public hearing before the Southampton County Board of Supervisors.

Bill Pham, principal at Synergy, told the board the project sits on slightly more than 100 acres and “fits squarely within” the county’s solar ordinance. Kevin Osborne, a Synergy project developer, said the plan calls for a 20‑megawatt solar system paired with an 8‑megawatt battery sized for four hours of discharge. Osborne said the site is set back roughly 1,700 feet from General Thomas Highway and “is not visible from neighbors or the street” because of existing tree canopy and topography.

Synergy proposed an economic package the company described as more than $1,600,000 in local benefits: $800,000 up front to the county (split between a permit‑date payment and a commercial operation payment), $200,000 in phased payments during the first five years, and distributions to volunteer fire and rescue squads. Pham said the company had been selected for a Dominion Energy partnership and emphasized that interconnection capacity is available at the nearby substation.

Residents and public officials raised a range of concerns. Colleen Flick, a teacher, asked about land ownership and decommissioning; Osborne said land would be purchased or leased at the landowner’s option and that Synergy would put in place an annually reassessed decommissioning bond from an A‑rated insurer. A resident asked whether the company had any ties to the Chinese government; Pham answered, “No. We don't.”

Several speakers pressed the company and staff on safety and environmental risks. One citizen asked whether batteries can catch fire and whether local fire companies would be trained. Pham and Osborne responded that the batteries proposed use iron‑phosphate chemistry with reduced thermal‑runaway risk, that containers include power‑suppression features, and that Synergy would provide training and consider additional support for first responders.

Leroy Hardy, speaking as a council member of the Nottoway Indian community and chair of a preservation committee, urged a cultural resource study with shovel testing and pit tests because the site is near sensitive archaeological riverine areas. Hardy said if testing were conducted and passed, the tribe would be satisfied; otherwise, he cautioned, irreplaceable artifacts could be lost.

Otto Waxman, Delegate for Virginia’s 83rd District, told the board he supports local control over siting decisions and noted state lawmakers have discussed model guidelines and other proposals affecting local authority.

Other residents raised questions about impacts on nearby private wells, visibility from Shady Brook Trail, long‑term decommissioning costs and whether the project would affect plans for residential growth in the area. Several speakers noted the county’s solar ordinance is among the strictest in the state and said they appreciated that projects must meet local standards.

No formal action was taken; the board and staff said the project will proceed through required steps including a town hall, planning commission review and further public input before any zoning or site approvals.

The board closed the hearing without voting on the project tonight; the transcript indicates follow‑up meetings (town hall, planning commission, then board) are required before the board can take a final action.