Richmond BizSense: Solar Farms OK’d for Two Closed Landfills Along City’s Eastern Border

Thanks to our support and success in passing HB 1133 from the 2020 General Assembly session, Richmond City Council and Henrico Board of Supervisors each approved solar farm projects near Oakwood Cemetery on former landfills. Henrico’s arrangement with Dominion Energy is for a 16-acre solar farm on a 58-acre former county landfill expected to generate 2 megawatts, while Richmond’s deal with Ameresco is for a 15-acre solar farm on a 34-acre former city landfill expected to generate 5 megawatts. Both the city and county will lease their respective sites to the energy companies for 35 years.

Dominion’s 2-megawatt solar farm will help the utility reach its goal of generating 16,000 megawatts of electricity through renewable energy over the next 15 years, while Ameresco’s 5-megawatt solar farm will help Richmond reach its goal of zero emissions by 2050. Richmond expects to receive over $2.7 million in payments from Ameresco over the 35-year lease, while Henrico expects to receive over $1.05 million from Dominion over its 35-year lease. Read more here.