Texas firm aims for solar farm near Elizabeth City
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Pasquotank County officials find themselves in a quandary over whether to welcome or discourage a proposed solar farm that would be one of the largest east of the Mississippi River.
Adani Solar USA of Texas plans to build a 2,940-acre solar farm stretching more than 4 miles on agricultural land along U.S. 17 west of Elizabeth City. The site would operate as Birchwood Solar. The project would lie within sight of a 104 turbine wind farm — the largest in the state — and could set Elizabeth City apart as a hot bed for renewable energy in North Carolina.
The company’s application did not specify projected megawatt production or the amount of investment, but a project in Currituck County of 500,000 solar panels on 2,000 acres produces 120 megawatts, which can power about 13,000 homes. The $250 million Currituck site generates about $225,000 annually in tax revenues. Adani could not be reached for comment.
Pasquotank County officials are considering changing its ordinance to limit solar farms to 250 acres, ensure their boundaries are at least a half mile from U.S. 17 and require that solar sites be at least a mile apart.
The planning board this week voted against the limits except for the half-mile set-back. The buffer would keep land open for other industries to locate along U.S. 17, the corridor that could become Interstate 87 from Virginia to Raleigh. County commissioners will consider planning board recommendation later this month.
About 20 people spoke in favor of the solar project at Wednesday’s planning board meeting, a surprising show of support in a farming community. One resident opposed the development saying it would ruin the farmland and the scenic beauty for 30 years.
Supporters at Wednesday’s meeting praised the solar site proposal as a chance to make Pasquotank County a state leader in renewable energy. It would generate tax revenues for schools in a county struggling to attract large industry, they said. The 250-acre limit and other restrictions could ruin the project’s economic viability.
“Any limitation is saying we don’t want you here,” said Elizabeth City resident Joseph Per si coat the meeting. Several factors drive the interest in solar sites here. The price of solar power has fallen 70 to 80 percent, said Stephen Kalland, executive director of the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University. Large companies such as Amazon and Facebook seek to offset power use with renewable energies, he said. Lots of relatively cheap, flat, open land is available in northeastern North Carolina. Regulations have changed so that larger farms are more economical now, he said. “This may well be a trend,” he said. “Bigger is better.”
North Carolina is second in the nation behind California in solar production at 4,490 megawatts. The Pasquotank project would be the second largest solar farm east of the Mississippi. A site in the works in Spotsylvania, Va., is expected to produce 500 megawatts on 6,000 acres, Kalland said.