Help us protect agricultural-forestry zoned land from large, industrial-scale solar developments
Culpeper's History and Opposition to Industrial Scale Solar
A portion of a Civil War lithograph depicts Union artillerymen attacking Confederate units at Culpeper County’s Raccoon Ford on the Rapidan River in September 1863. The area is now proposed to be developed for industrial-scale solar power plants.
Culpeper was Instrumental
During the Civil War and is now Under Attack from Industrial Solar (history will be destroyed forever)
Over 160 battles were fought in Culpeper County, Virginia during the Civil War. Culpeper saw a number of nationally significant battles that played important roles in the overall direction and outcome of the War - Culpeper Court House, Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Kelley’s Ford and significant conflicts across The Rapidan Front.
'Gettysburg' director, Ron Maxwell Comes Out Swinging Against Utility-Scale Power Plants and Writes a Letter to the Culpeper Board of Supervisors (view here)
Ron Maxwell, American film director and screenwriter. He is most renowned for writing and directing the American Civil War historical fiction films Gettysburg, Gods and Generals, and Copperhead.
Ron visits Culpeper and delivers moving speech acknowledging the global energy crisis with climate change, but expresses how these industrial solar plants, especially in Culpeper are "stupid" and "nonsensical" on historic-agricultural land.
Ron Maxwell (Gettysburg film Director) explains “this is nonsensical”, especially in Culpeper
Since early 2018, the citizens of Culpeper have been opposing industrial scale solar plants on rural land. What will it take for Culpeper to put in place a solar ordinance (like Madison County has already) to protect this land, history and community?
Culpeper has Been Awarded a Grant from the National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection
In May 2020, the Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield (a non-profit preservation organization) received a grant to research the Civil War history of the area, including the 1863-1864 Winter Encampment of 100,000 Union soldiers and military engagements at Somerville, Raccoon and Morton's Fords along the Rapidan River. Friends of Cedar Mountain has asked the Board of Supervisors to hold any solar projects until research is complete.
The Threatened Culpeper Land is Zoned for Rural-Agricultural Use and is Historic (Not Zoned for Industrial Use)
This historic district is prime farmland and timberland. We hope the local Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will vote to reject large-scale solar plants based on this reason alone. Industrial-scale solar is not agriculture; it is a power plant.
Culpeper Faces Disastrous Water Run-Off Consequences that Lead into the Rapidan River - Chesapeake Bay Watershed, which Have Not Been Addressed
Uncontrolled runoff of water and topsoil is a well-documented byproduct of large-scale solar project site development. The sites targeted by solar developers include wetlands, streams and tributaries that feed into the Rapidan River and ultimately to the Chesapeake Bay.
This is a photo of the Radian River in Culpeper, which frequently floods as seen here in 2019.
This is Ultimately Our Children's Future and Playgrounds
Hear from Dylan, who has time and time again pleaded to put an end to industrial solar in his community.
Culpeper: We are fighting for our homes and historic sites
Piedmont Environmental Council Urges Culpeper to Reject Industrial Scale Solar, as Culpeper's Land is not Suitable
Culpeper: Piedmont Environmental Council urges the county to reject industrial solar plans
Cricket Solar has shown us that a withdrawal or expiration isn't enough. These solar corporations have the means and funds to come back, unless a solar ordinance is put in place to protect the land, history and community.
In 2018, beautiful and historic Culpeper, Virginia was targeted by solar developers (including a foreign company from Germany, Cricket Solar). We are still tirelessly united to stop large, industrial-scale solar projects from destroying our USA land and community.
Culpeper is faced with
3 different proposed industrial solar plant projects,
= 4,500 acres of rural land to be destroyed, which is the size of:
1,100 Walmart's
OR
833 football
fields
The worst part, its all for little energy:
Cricket Solar - 1,800 acres (80 MW). Withdrew in July 2019, but has confirmed in fall 2020 that it will submit a revised application.
Maroon Solar - 1,700 acres (149 MW). Applied in July 2020. Withdrew in November 2020X. Resubmitted a revised application in Jan 2021
Greenwood Solar - 1,067 acres (100 MW). Expired in October 2020, but new state legislation passed in December 2020 automatically renewed their conditional use permit. They are pushing to get their revised site plan approved in spring 2021.
