Commissioners urge residents to attend March 25 Sussex meeting on large solar proposal; express concern about scale and local impacts

Commissioners at the Southampton County Planning Commission meeting highlighted concerns about a large solar project being discussed in neighboring Sussex County and urged residents and officials to attend a March 25 informational meeting at the 4‑H center.

A commissioner described press reports that the Sussex project would encompass roughly 8,400 acres and, with buffers, could reach about 10,000 acres; another commissioner said the project would surround the 4‑H center and could affect travel during construction. Planning staff, Miss Lewis, clarified that none of the Sussex project is currently inside Southampton County and that any portion of a parcel that lies inside Southampton would require review by Southampton County authorities.

Commissioners questioned the fiscal benefits for the county, noting staff earlier figures that combined real‑estate and machinery/personal property taxes from existing solar projects amounted to roughly $300,000 in 2019 — a figure one commissioner characterized as “less than a half of 1% of our budget.” Several commissioners also raised environmental and wildlife concerns if miles of continuous solar fencing are installed and suggested county residents monitor the Sussex public forum.

Miss Lewis and commissioners encouraged attendance at the March 25 meeting and said county staff would share contact information for Sussex County staff and project representatives for those seeking more details. No formal action was taken by the commission at the meeting; the discussion was advisory and informational.