Gerhardt open to Bristersburg solar facility — with conditions

Supervisors have initiated negotiations with a solar energy company related to a proposed utility-scale facility in Bristersburg. Supervisor Rick Gerhardt, whose Cedar Run District includes the area, says he is open to the idea — but only if the company gives up future development rights on the 485-acre property.

Gerhardt and Chris Butler (Lee District) represent southern Fauquier County, where the presence of high-capacity electric transmission lines and flat land means conditions are ideal for solar energy facilities. Both supervisors, however, have expressed skepticism about previous solar facility proposals, concerned about losing farmland in an area where agriculture is still a major part of life.

Gerhardt, however, came up with a novel proposal. Solar facilities have a life span of a few decades before the equipment degrades sufficiently to make the facility inefficient. What if the company pledged to put the land into a conservation easement after the solar equipment was gone, ensuring in perpetuity that the land could not be developed after the solar facility had been dismantled?

“I’m willing to go down this path for a couple reasons,” Gerhardt explained at last week’s board meeting. “One of which is: this developer … is actually purchasing this land, which is different than we’ve seen in the past. And they have suggested that they are willing to terminate development rights on this property.”

A Dec. 3 letter from the applicant company, Torch Clean Energy of Charlottesville, presented the proposal as a benefit to the county’s tax revenue that would also further the goal of preserving rural land.

“While the project is situated on agricultural land, it would require minimal grading due to the favorable topography,” the letter said. “As a result, the soils would be well-preserved and prepared to return to agricultural use” after the facility’s lifecycle ends.

Gerhardt said, “… When the life cycle of these projects ends, it just reverts back, generally, to whatever use existed prior to when it became a solar field, essentially. So the fact that they’re willing — that they are suggesting the fact they’ll entertain terminating development rights is intriguing to me and worth pursuing.”

The negotiation of terms between the county and the applicant is made possible by a law passed last year by the Virginia General Assembly creating a “solar siting agreement” process. Solar companies can negotiate financial incentives benefiting localities as part of the process.

The Bristersburg project would generate about $11.7 million in local tax revenue over its estimated 40-year lifespan, according to a draft agreement released after last week’s board meeting. Torch has offered additional annual payments based on the electric output of the facility; those payments could total $3.2 million.

It’s not yet clear how much energy the facility would generate or how many acres of panels would be installed. A conceptual site plan submitted by the company shows panels concentrated on the north end of the property, toward the village of Bristersburg. Another planning document from the company estimates that the facility will generate 80 megawatts per year, enough to power more than 15,000 homes.

Gerhardt emphasized that there will be a public hearing before any vote on the proposal and that public input would be an important factor in the proposal's ultimate fate. “We’re not bypassing the public hearing on this.”

Reach Coy Ferrell at cferrell@fauquier.com