The Waller Solar will occupy approximately 1,000 acres of privately owned land at the north end of Lancaster County, near the communities of Alfonso and Nuttsville. About 70% of the land in the proposed project is currently in timber production. The remaining 30% is currently farmland. At the end of the Project’s expected 40-year life, the equipment will be removed, and the land can be returned to agricultural and timber uses.
The proposed facility will consist of state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic panels. It will use no fuel, very little water, and will generate no air pollution. Because solar facilities have very few moving parts, once constructed, they will make virtually no noise, generate no traffic, and require minimal lighting. Due to reduced fertilizer and other chemical use when land use changes from farming and timber to solar energy production, the Project is expected to reduce contamination of shallow water wells, local streams and rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Waller Solar will supply power to the transmission system at a new substation to be constructed on Dominion Energy’s Garner - Lancaster 115 kV transmission line.
The Project will generate over $15 million in new tax and other revenue for the County over the 40-year project life. Construction of the facility will take about one year and generate more than 100 new jobs. Once built, the Project will also create 3 to 5 good-paying permanent jobs for the facility's operation and maintenance. Waller Solar will help stabilize and diversify farmers' and other participating landowners' income sources for decades to come.