Hecate Energy makes progress towards 150MW solar project in Virginia

April 26, 2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The Cherrydale solar project.
The Cherrydale solar project is one of Hecate’s two operating projects in Virginia. Image: Hecate Energy

The Cumberland County Board of Supervisors has granted permission to US renewables developer Hecate Energy to build a proposed 150MW solar PV facility in the US state of Virginia.

The board voted in favour of the project on 12 March, and announced its decision earlier this week, granting approval to Hecate’s siting agreement and conditional use permit applications for the project. The so-called Cumberland Solar Facility is a US$200 million investment, and while the project still needs approval from Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality, Hecate noted that it expects to receive support from the state body.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The project will cover nearly 1,000 acres in central Virginia, and Hecate plans to begin construction in 2028, ahead of commissioning the project in 2030.

“This approval helps realise our common goal to bring substantial economic benefits to Cumberland County and build energy independence for Virginia,” said Preston Schultz, the Cumberland Solar Facility’s lead project developer. “We appreciate the leadership and support demonstrated by the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors in advancing this project.”

Hecate boasts a considerable pipeline of projects, with 151 facilities in operation or under development, with a total power generation capacity of 38.9GW. The company’s works are split between solar, wind and storage projects, with 1.4GW of solar capacity under development across nine projects, and two operating solar projects with a combined capacity of 30MW.

The company is also developing the Grottoes solar-plus-storage project in Augusta County, with a solar generation capacity of 150MW.

Virginia has one of the largest solar sectors in the US, with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reporting that, at the end of 2023, the state had 4.8GW of solar capacity installed, with another 6.8GW set to come online in the next five years, the ninth-most in the country.

Dominion Energy has been responsible for many of these developments, seeking approval for 772MW of new solar capacity in the state last October. Earlier this month, the utility launched a request for proposal for new solar and storage projects, as it looks to expand its portfolio further.

16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

October 23, 2025
US solar manufacturer T1 Energy sold approximately 725MW of solar modules in Q3 2025, as it continues to expand US manufacturing capabilities.
October 22, 2025
Recurrent Energy, Ampliform and Dimension Energy have announced new financing rounds this month for US solar projects.
October 22, 2025
Leeward Renewable Energy has started commercial operations at its 177MW Ridgely solar project in the US state of Tennessee.
October 22, 2025
US thin-film manufacturer First has revealed another transfer of its 45X manufacturing tax credits in a deal worth around US$775 million.
October 22, 2025
Abigail Ross Hopper, the president and CEO of US trade association the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), has decided to step down from her roles at the end of January 2026.
October 21, 2025
Cypress Creek Renewables has achieved financial close on its 75MW Sundance solar-plus-storage project in Elbert County, Colorado.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal