NORGE — During a brisk but sunny January morning with few clouds in the sky, a farm with no animals or vegetation sits off Richmond Road, quietly supplying energy.
In Norge, 38,000 solar panels absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity.
The 224-acre large-scale solar facility, called Norge Solar, became operational on Nov. 30 and can generate enough electricity to power 5,000 homes at peak output.
This solar farm is just one of seven in Dominion Energy’s solar fleet that are located around the Historic Triangle.
Four are currently in operation and three are in the construction or pre-construction phase in James City County, Williamsburg, York County and Gloucester County.
In addition to the Norge facility in James City County, Dominion Energy has operated Rochambeau Solar since 2021, which provides power to William & Mary.
“A decade ago, we would be developing one of these a year. So, to have two of these in neighboring counties open within days of each other is a testament to how far we have come developing our solar fleet. Now, we develop a half dozen of these, across the state, per year,” said Tim Eberly, Senior Communications Specialist for Dominion Energy.
Winterberry Solar, a 343-acre farm located south of Gloucester, went live on Nov. 28.
From finding the right land parcel to environmental testing, government approval and construction, the process to get a solar farm up and running is years in the making. The Norge facility has been in the works since 2020, according to Eberly.
The U.S. Department of Energy states solar energy is the fastest-growing and most affordable source of new electricity in an America driven by a need to find clean, reliable and renewable resources.
Once the solar farms are operational, there are few negative impacts on a community. The farms are extremely quiet, generate very little traffic and many have pollinator plots.
In order to protect native animals, Dominion Energy will create wildlife corridors to provide safe spaces. Some solar farms across the state are also home to sheep who help maintain the vegetation by ‘solar grazing’ in an environmentally friendly manner.
These facilities also help generate tax revenue. Norge is expected to generate about $32,000 for James City County.
“We are trying to transform our electric grid one project at a time. This may be just one solar farm in one county in Virginia but each one of these projects gets us one step closer to achieving our energy goals to make us a cleaner and greener power company,” stated Eberly.
