A proposed 2,415-acre industrial solar project would convert productive farmland in Old Fields into industrial use for 30–50 years. We oppose siting industrial solar on West Virginia's #1 agricultural land when 573,000 acres of abandoned mines and degraded land are already available statewide.
Hardy County residents speaking out.
Hardy County is West Virginia's #1 agricultural county — $269 million in annual sales, 28% of the entire state's ag economy and $153 million more than the #2 county. Tourism adds another $46.7 million annually. The Old Fields site targets one of the state's oldest and largest farm valleys — the most productive farmland, in the largest concentration, anywhere in the county.
MN8 Energy is a Goldman Sachs spin-off with investors in Switzerland and New York. The power would feed the regional grid — most likely Virginia's data center corridor, not Hardy County. The county would get a flat PILOT payment of $145–$207 per acre per year and 9 permanent jobs, while losing the working farmland and tourism economy it already has.
No utility-scale solar facility in the United States has yet completed decommissioning and returned to full agricultural production. When asked for a single example, MN8 has not provided one. Solar leases run 30 to 50 years — a generation or more. The decision is effectively permanent.
Utility-scale solar like MN8's is currently only allowed on industrially zoned land in Hardy County. The Planning Commission is drafting regulations to also allow it in Agricultural Districts — and many parcels in the Old Fields project would still need to be rezoned from residential to agricultural for the project to move forward.
The Hardy County Comprehensive Plan adopted on December 18, 2025 lists agriculture and farmland protection as a top priority. The plan also states that the county should consider the costs as well as the benefits of large-scale energy projects, especially costs to the current assets and economic drivers in the county.
We are simply asking the County Commission and Planning Commission to stay the course with this priority and keep current agricultural zoning protections in place. We must protect farmland.
We are an alliance of Hardy County residents, homeowners, neighboring community members, and fellow West Virginians who believe industrial solar belongs on appropriate sites — not productive farmland. Our mission is to protect Hardy County's economy, natural resources, and the well-being of the people for generations to come.
This is the same goal officially stated in the Hardy County Comprehensive Plan, adopted December 18, 2025.
By building community awareness and encouraging civic participation, we advocate for responsible economic development that respects the natural landscapes, agricultural heritage, and local character of our region.
The people who live here, work here, and raise families here should have a meaningful say in decisions that shape our home.
2,500 acres of farmland at risk. Make your voice heard.
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