Clean energy projects to transform former coal mines in Appalachia

The Nature Conservancy and Cumberland Forest Limited Partnership are launching 17 clean energy projects on former coal mines in Appalachia. New agreements with Sun Tribe Development and ENGIE will create 14 solar farms and three battery storage systems across Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. These projects will generate about 49 megawatts of solar energy and 320 megawatts of battery storage, enough to power over 6,600 homes annually. This initiative aims to benefit local communities through job creation and increased tax revenue. This announcement follows earlier efforts to develop renewable energy in the region. Since 2021, Sun Tribe and Dominion Energy have been working on generating 140 megawatts of renewable energy across eight sites in the Cumberland Forest.