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Gloucester’s solar facility goes live

 

After months of site work, the solar array on Route 14 in Gloucester began generating power from the sun, fittingly enough, on Earth Day. April 22 saw the 20-megawatt facility go live as part of an effort by Facebook, Inc., to mitigate the environmental footprint of a data center in Henrico County.

The amount of power generated by these panels is enough to power 5,000 homes at peak output and, when compared to traditional forms of electricity generation, is the equivalent of removing 29,567 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year or 6,277 passenger vehicles off the road for one year.

Strata Solar, a North Carolina-based company, leased the 203-acre tract of land near Toddsbury Lane from RFD Farms LLC, Virginia Field Wray, the Estate of Eleanor Field Martin and Carrie E. Belvin. Dominion Energy acquired the facility from Strata Solar upon completion and now operates it.

“The energy generated will go directly to the power grid for all customers to use,” said Daisy P...

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