JULIAN, W.Va. (AP) — A 3,000-acre solar energy farm is planned on a former coal mining site in southern West Virginia, project officials said.
The estimated $320 million project will be built at the Rock Creek Development Park along the borders of Boone and Lincoln County by the newly formed SEVA WV, a unit of Kansas City, Missouri-based Savion Energy.
The park itself will be renamed Sun Park and is expected to include industrial and commercial development, educational facilities and tourism and hospitality venues, officials said at a news conference Monday. The solar panels are expected to provide 250 megawatts of power.
Up to 300 workers are expected to be employed during construction on the solar project. In addition, 80 miles of new trails are planned on the property as an extension of the Hatfield-McCoy ATV system.
Development of the former Hobet surface mine site as a business park was the vision of former Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in 2016.