This white-fringed orchid is among the plants found in the Chester Seeps Conservation Site. (Photo courtesy Ashley Moulton)
Chesterfield County might not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of environmental diversity, but the region contains a handful of special areas, including one filled with rare plants that some believe is under threat due to a planned solar development project.
Situated within the Chester Seeps Conservation Site, the land that the proposed Chester Solar Technology Park will be built on contains a unique bog. Its composition of dry, sandy, acidic uplands and marshy wetlands provides a haven for 10 rare plant varieties including red milkweed, purple pitcher plants, white-fringed orchids and Cuthbert’s turtlehead. It’s also home to the last known Virginia population of squarehead — a delicate yellow flowering plant.
Matt Brooks, a biologist and president of the Pocahontas Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, points out that while direct impacts to the bog would be a problem, it’s the indirect effects that tend to be the most troublesome. “The proposed placement of solar panels on top of some rare plant occurrences and loss of adjacent forest cover lead to fragmentation,” he says. “Loss of adjacent forest cover can lead to changes in stormwater discharge, resulting in changes to local hydrology and potential stream impacts and erosion from increased runoff.” Apart from this, he notes that disturbances, clearing and utility corridors could encourage the growth of invasive plant species.
Torch Clean Energy, a renewable energy provider, is developing the project. The facility, a 160-megawatt alternating current solar photovoltaic power generator, would be built southeast of Chesterfield County’s Route 10 and Interstate 95 intersection (west of Branders Bridge Road), situated on 1,671 acres of privately owned timberland, with the active solar portion covering about 1,000 acres.
It will scatter numerous solar panels around the grounds. Altogether, the land will consist of solar facilities, a collection substation, interconnection yards and a 1.75-mile interconnecting power line called a gen-tie line — all of which are planned to be in service by December 2024.
The project might seem sudden and unexpected to some, but it isn’t the first time the land has attracted interest. In 2008, it was zoned for a housing development. In 2017 and 2018, ideas brewed around the plot being a good spot for a manufacturing facility. It wasn’t until 2018 that Torch Clean Energy reached out to the landowner, calling the site a prime area to place a renewable energy transmission system that would help meet and increase electrical demand in the region. The company received its county permit in 2019.
While some oppose the plan, others have voiced support at community meetings, public hearings and citizen group gatherings. This proposal seemingly had less land impact than the previous housing and manufacturing proposals, and some note that the solar investment will be worth it in the long run for economical and clean energy reasons. The State Corporation Commission finished accepting comments on the project on May 1. Another hearing on it would require 650 comments from the public to go forward.
Development in the region overall is perhaps the main issue. As Brooks says, “Suburban development has impacted much of the greater Richmond area. We need to conserve what natural areas we have for future enjoyment and study.” He points out that while possible impacts can be evaluated, it’s the small, sometimes invisible changes that are most alarming, adding: “The permitting processes evaluate impacts, including cumulative impacts, but ‘death by a thousand cuts’ is still an issue.”
Torch Clean Energy insists that the area will be respected. “The Chester Solar Project will preserve over 600 acres in order to protect wetland areas, buffers and the plants that grow in them. A plant survey will also be completed prior to construction to identify the locations of any potential rare plants on-site,” says Sam Gulland, a project representative. “The project design will meet Chesterfield County’s rigorous requirements, and it is a great opportunity to generate clean energy where it is needed while preserving our natural resources.”
