Renewable energy company looks to build solar energy facility in Berkeley County
BERKLEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — RWE Clean Energy wants to make a large investment in Berkeley County by building a solar panel farm.
The company plans to invest $225 million in Cross, South Carolina, with the Sandy Run Solar Project.
“South Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the country,” said James McCulla, the East Coast manager of Utility Scale Development with RWE Clean Energy. “Berkeley County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state of South Carolina, so really what that kind of equates to is nearly unprecedented demand growth for electricity.”
RWE estimates the 198-megawatt solar farm will have the potential to power 37,717 homes. The facility is currently planned to span 2,300 acres of privately owned land, North of Highway 311 and West of Highway 6.
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Current plans have construction beginning in 2027, with the project operational by the end of 2028, McCulla said.
Major utilities across the Palmetto State are forecasting historic demand growth,”in Santee Cooper’s recent integrated resource plan that they published earlier this year, they’re projecting a shortfall in available electricity generation in the coming five to 10 years,” McCulla said.
RWE looks to land a hand with the solar project.
“One of the main benefits is that this will produce clean, reliable, inexpensive electricity for Santee Cooper’s customers,” McCulla said.
RWE claims customers could see savings in their utility bills, saying solar energy can be 33% cheaper than electricity made from fossil fuels.
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The project is expected to create 101 jobs during construction and eight full-time positions. RWE predicts Sandy Run Solar will produce $44.6 million in revenue for the county over 45 years, with $800,000 anticipated to go to the Berkeley County School District annually.
RWE says once complete, the site will be barely visible to the public and neighboring landowners.
“It shouldn’t be visible from any surrounding roads. It certainly shouldn’t be audible from any surrounding roads,” McCulla said.
The company is also conducting detailed environmental due diligence.
“We’ve done a detailed field-based wetlands delineation, a threat and endangered species habitat survey, a detailed archeological and cultural resources study,” McCulla said.
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RWE plans to hold more open houses in the future.
“I’ve just really enjoyed getting to know the Cross community and the people who live here, and we hope to work collaboratively with them and the people who live in Berkeley County to make this project a reality,” McCulla said.
Currently, RWE is asking the Berkeley County Council to lift a Large-Scale Development Moratorium Ordinance.
If granted, the next steps will be for RWE to request the land to be rezoned and apply for permits.
A spokesperson with Berkeley County says it’s too early in the project to issue a comment.