Solar Energy Gaining Foothold in WEST VIRGINIA

by Diana Gooding on May 12, 2022

We owe the Sun for almost everything ...

WV Wesleyan College unveils state’s largest solar array

From an Article by Joe Lint, WBOY News 12, Clarksburg, WV, May 11, 2022

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – West Virginia Wesleyan College and Pickering Energy Solutions dedicated a new solar array located on campus Wednesday. The completed solar panel system uses more than 1,328 bi-facial panels, which provides about 13% of the campus’s annual power usage.

Dr. Charles Pickering, who is an alumnus of WVWC and works with Pickering Energy Solutions, led and developed the solar array project.

“We’re so thankful to Dr. Pickering, and the USDA, for the opportunity to be a part of a more sustainable world,” said Dr. James Moore, Interim President of WVWC, “It’s so important that we at Wesleyan lead by example and embrace alternative energy solutions.”

The United States Department of Agriculture helped support the project with a Rural Energy for America Program grant of $380,000 to assist with project costs.

School officials said the system provides clean, renewable energy that could power 78 homes and prevents the release of 727 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. At the time of installation, the Wesleyan solar array is the largest free-standing solar array system installed in the State of West Virginia. Any excess power produced is returned to the city’s utility grid system.

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West Virginia to have state’s largest solar farm on former mine site

From an Article by John Lynch, WTRF News 7, Wheeling, WV, April 4, 2022

SEVA WV plans to make the largest solar farm field at a former mining site.

The overall development includes 5,800 acres formerly known as the Hobet mining site, of which 3,000 acres will be developed as the state’s largest solar farm.

SEVA WV says the multi-phase plan includes industrial and commercial development, an educational experience, tourism & hospitality venues, that work together to make this project an epicenter for economic development creating new high-paying jobs and improving the quality of life for all West Virginians.

Devanna Corley, President of SEVA Inc. said, “I am inspired by the blank canvas presented in Boone and Lincoln Counties. There is a real opportunity to bring new business, grow population, develop tourism, and teach our children about the importance of renewable energy.

Governor Jim Justice said, “West Virginia is pleased to be a partner with SEVA WV. Mrs. Corley and her team have been relentless in their efforts to make this project a reality.” The State of West Virginia looks forward to supporting this very important project that will have a dynamic impact in Boone and Lincoln Counties and beyond.

“The State of West Virginia welcomes the opportunity to work with all potential investors to properly design the infrastructure that will fit the demands of today and years to follow on this and every project we undertake,” he added.

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See also: Largest US grid operator puts 1,200 mostly solar projects on hold for 2 years; James Bruggers, Inside Climate News, April 30, 2022

A new approval process by PJM will put projects that are the readiest for construction at the front of the line and discourages those that might be more speculative or that have not secured all their financing.

Then, an interim period will put a two-year delay on about 1,250 projects in their queue — close to half of the total — and defer the review of new projects until the fourth quarter of 2025, with final decisions on those coming as late as the end of 2027.

During the two-year transition, PJM will continue to work on more than 1,200 projects, which include more than 100,000 megawatts of renewable energy.

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