In a first for SC, Beaufort Co. solar facility property protected from development
In what’s touted as a first in South Carolina, a large swath of farmland in northern Beaufort County that will soon be home to a solar energy facility has been permanently protected from major development.
And the forthcoming array of solar panels will be shielded from drivers accustomed to views of large open fields and crops.
The 628-acre property in Lobeco, off Trask Parkway between Keans Neck Road and Washington Farm Road, is a former tomato farm now owned by an affiliate of solar energy developer Adger Solar. Dominion Energy owns the facility that will begin operating on the land this year and is expected to power 9,000 homes for the next quarter-century.
The Beaufort County Open Land Trust worked to secure an easement on the property, which land preservationists say marks the first time a solar facility will operate on protected land. Supporters say the distinction is important because if the solar facility stops operation, no major projects like a housing subdivision pop up there.
The agreement allows for the land to be used for farming, timber or other rural uses if energy production ends.
“What we don’t want to see is these rural communities end up with high-density residential areas or industrial or commercial,” Land Trust executive director Kristin Williams said. “So the conservation easement protects the rural character of Lobeco forever.”
The 72-megawatt solar facility is among the largest in the state, Dominion said after acquiring the project from First Solar last year.
Construction took about six months and was completed at the end of 2019. The solar panels cover about 500 acres, said Bill Moore of Adger Solar.
The property is just north of the Whale Branch River and visible from the highly trafficked road to Beaufort. The easement requires a vegetative buffer along Trask Parkway and Keans Neck Road to shield the solar panels from the road.
Williams and Charles Lane, longtime chairman of the ACE Basin Task Force, said land conservationists worked for two years with developers to negotiate terms ahead of the project.
“This project provides a model for the business and conservation communities to work together and achieve mutually beneficial goals,” Lane said in a statement.
The Beaufort County Open Land Trust also administers the county land preservation program that buys and preserves sensitive properties. The solar farm easement was donated by the utility companies; the deal involved no public money, Williams said.
