Clēnera

Blackwater Solar is a proposed 800 MW solar energy project in Sussex County, Virginia, developed by Clēnera. Approved by the Sussex County Board of Supervisors, the revised project is intended to deliver locally produced, reliable and affordable clean energy while supporting the region’s economic future. Its development includes conditions, bonding requirements for road repairs and decommissioning, and direct payments to the County.

Construction is planned in phases, with inspections between phases to help limit community impacts. The project will dedicate more than 500 acres to pollinator-friendly habitats and preserve 40 miles of wildlife corridors, while applying erosion and sediment controls and avoiding wetlands and protected habitats. Solar panels are described as non-toxic and recyclable, and a bond of more than $30 million is intended to guarantee land restoration at the end of the project’s lifespan. Less than five percent of the site is agricultural land.

Blackwater Solar projects $4.9 million in County revenue in its first year and more than $170 million in lifetime benefits.