US renewables developer Longroad Energy has agreed the sale of an 83MW solar project in Virginia to Dominion Energy. The Foxhound solar project in Halifax County has reached full notice to proceed and has begun construction, following six years of development. Financial close of the Foxhound acquisition is expected upon mechanical completion of the project which is anticipated for January 2024. First Solar is supplying Foxhound with its domestically made thin-film solar modules, while Nextracker is supplying trackers for the project and TMEIC the solar inverters. The project will interconnect near the Clover Power Station. Foxhound is projected to employ 150-200 workers during peak construction.
“Foxhound marks Longroad’s first solar project in Virginia and our first greenfield development project in PJM,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of Longroad Energy. He added: “We are pleased that Dominion Energy will be acquiring Foxhound to help support the sustainability goals of its key customers and renewable energy objectives set out in the Virginia Clean Economy Act. “The project will be an important resource for Halifax County, and we are proud of Foxhound’s certification as Virginia Pollinator-Smart for its biodiversity commitments.” Virginia Pollinator-Smart is a biodiversity programme overseen by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). As part of its certification, the Foxhound project will use native plant species under the solar panels and a pollinator-friendly seed mix around the arrays. The project’s use of pollinator plant species will help support beneficial native insect, bird and other wildlife populations while improving soil stabilisation and water retention. The project has long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). KeyBank NA and HSBC served as lenders. Balch & Bingham served as Longroad’s counsel on the transaction.
Credits: renews.biz [Image: Longroad Energy]