Hecate Energy Amends Special Use Permit for Pulaski County Solar Facility
Renewable Energy Developer Anticipates County Re-Approval to Build Source of New Revenue for Region While Incorporating Positive Project Improvements
PULASKI — Hecate Energy, a leading developer, owner and operator of renewable power projects in the U.S., is pleased to announce that it has submitted an amended Special Use Permit to the Pulaski County Office of Planning and Zoning. The permit was updated to incorporate improvements the developer made to its plan to construct and operate a utility-scale solar energy facility in Pulaski County.
In January, the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors approved a Special Use Permit for the Project based upon a preliminary site plan dated November 18, 2020. Since the issuance of the Special Use Permit, Hecate has conducted additional geotechnical and engineering evaluations that resulted in a refinement and improvement of the preliminary site plan approved in January. As a result of these engineering evaluations and layout improvements, Hecate amended the preliminary site plan and requested an amended Special Use Permit.
The project amendments include both the addition and removal of parcels of land, refinement of the location and equipment needed to connect and deliver the power to the existing area transmission facility and optimizing the layout with state-of-the-art solar racking and panel systems. Much of the facility footprint remains unchanged from the plans submitted to the County in 2020.
A number of these changes reflect feedback Hecate received during the previous Special Use Permit approval process.
“The new layout represents our commitment to making this project the absolute best it can be,” said Project Manager Preston Schultz. “Ensuring that we utilize the land more effectively provides the greatest benefit for the community. The layout we are presenting reflects our commitment to the community to reduce the project’s visual impact on the viewshed to the greatest extent possible.”
The proposed solar farm is expected to produce up to 280 megawatts (MW) of clean, Virginia-made energy that can power more than 30,000 homes. The facility is to be located near the New River Valley Airport and NRV Commerce Park in Dublin, Virginia.
The amended Special Use Permit process will be managed by the Pulaski County Office of Planning & Zoning, which is responsible for reviewing and permitting land use development in Pulaski County, with hearings at both the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
The Pulaski County Planning Commission will host a Public Hearing and consider the matter on Tuesday, October 12th at 7 PM.
The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors will host a Public Hearing and consider the matter on Monday, October 25th at 7 PM.
Both meetings will be held at the Pulaski County Administration Building, Board Meeting Room. The address is 143 Third Street, NW, Pulaski, VA 24301
###
About Hecate Energy
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Hecate Energy is a developer of solar power plants, wind-power plants, and energy storage solutions. Founded in 2012 by a team of energy industry veterans who have worked together for more than 20 years, Hecate Energy’s team members have developed and contracted over 1,000 megawatts of solar projects across the United States.