The Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia, comprised of various organizations seeking to develop a renewable energy cluster in the coalfield counties of Virginia, recently announced a partnership with Secure Futures, a Norton, VA-based company that builds, owns, manages and funds solar solutions for hospitals, schools and businesses. This partnership will provide commercial-scale solar installations in the coalfield region that are specifically designed to employ local workers. The initiative, called "Securing Solar For Southwest Virginia," will provide affordable solar solutions for businesses, nonprofits and local governments in the seven-county regions.
The announcements follows a critical time in southwest Virginia, which was hit hard by the coal industry's decline prior the current pandemic-driven recession.
By the end of 2023, the partnership plans to construct 10 megawatts (MW) of solar in the coalfield region and create 15 new, full-time jobs in solar construction, sales and marketing, entrepreneurship and small business development.
For more information on this initiative, read the original press release from Secure Futures LLC.
The image shows solar installers in Virginia.