Dynamic Energy LLC has proposed a 5MW utility-scale solar project in Bealeton that, if approved by Fauquier County, will allow for the facility to provide electricity to 1,000 homes once constructed. The company needs to secure a program contract through a Virginia Clean Economy Act shared solar program. If the commission determines the proposal largely complies with Fauquier’s comprehensive plan, and the board of supervisors subsequently agrees, Dynamic Energy also must obtain special exception permit approval from the county to construct the solar farm. The shared solar program would give local Dominion customers the option to purchase a subscription for clean energy, typically at a reduced rate from their existing rate,” according to Dynamic Energy.
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The project would have a net positive economic impact on Fauquier, creating 30 to 40 construction jobs and employ one to three part-time people to maintain it, the application states. It would place no demands on public infrastructures such as school, water, and sewer systems, according to Dynamic Energy. There will be minimal traffic to the site after construction, the application states, and a maintenance truck will be onsite every three to six months. The Bealeton Marsh Solar project would occupy about 40 acres of an approximately 160-acre farm. The site lies on the east side of Route 17 about six miles south of Bealeton. The Virginia Department of Transportation maintenance garage stands just north of the farm.
“The solar panels will be installed using a tracker-mounting system elevated above the ground utilizing steel posts,” the county application states. Besides comprehensive plan approval, Dynamic Energy would need a special exception permit from the county to construct the proposed solar farm. The permit review process, which can take months, involves public hearings before the planning commission and the supervisors.
