Quick answers to the questions we hear most. For the full case, see The Facts.
Utility-scale solar like MN8's is currently only allowed in Industrial Districts in Hardy County. The Planning Commission is drafting new regulations to also allow it in Agricultural Districts — and many parcels in the Old Fields project would still need to be rezoned from residential to agricultural before the project could move forward. Each step has a public comment period, and the decision is still in Hardy County's hands. See the public process →
No. We support renewable energy — including community-scale solar, rooftop solar, and utility solar on degraded land. What we oppose is converting 2,415 acres of productive farmland into industrial solar when West Virginia already has 573,000 acres of abandoned mine lands and degraded land available statewide. Read more →
No. This is "merchant power" — wholesale electricity sold to the regional grid for out-of-state buyers, most likely Virginia's data center corridor. Your electricity stays with Potomac Edison (FirstEnergy) at state-regulated rates that don't move because of panels in Old Fields. Read more →
No. We support solar on appropriate sites. What we oppose is sacrificing productive farmland when 573,000 acres of better land is already available statewide — and when state-regulated utilities are already required by law to use that degraded land. Read more →
Landownership carries both freedom and responsibility. Zoning exists because individual decisions affect neighbors, water, wildlife, property values, and future generations. That's why every county has a public input process — and why community voice matters now.
This project sets the precedent. If zoning is changed to allow utility-scale solar on agricultural land, the next 3,000 acres becomes easier to approve, and the one after that easier still. The Planning Commission is writing the ordinance that decides what comes next.
Yes — which is exactly why where we put solar matters. Building on productive farmland wastes prime food-growing land and creates the backlash that slows solar everywhere. Building on already-degraded land — abandoned mines, brownfields, parking lots — gets us to clean energy faster, with fewer fights. Read more →
Now — before the ordinance is finalized. Sign the petition, write to your County Commissioners and the Planning Commission's Solar Subcommittee, and attend the next public meeting. The single most effective thing is showing up. See all ways to take action →
The revenue. MN8 — a Goldman Sachs spin-off backed by investors in Switzerland and New York — keeps the wholesale electricity revenue for 30–50 years. The county gets a small fixed PILOT payment (~$145–$207 per acre per year), and Hardy County loses prime farmland and tourism economy that already generates tens of millions a year. Read more →
We are an alliance of Hardy County residents, homeowners, neighboring community members, and fellow West Virginians who believe industrial solar belongs on appropriate sites — not productive farmland. Our mission is to protect Hardy County's economy, natural resources, and the well-being of the people for generations to come.