ASHBURN, Va., March 11, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Mineral Gap Data Centers' proposed solar energy farm in Wise, Virginia, has been named one of the 10 economic development projects selected for grant approval from the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Pilot program administered by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) and funded by the Federal Power Plus Pilot Program.
The Mineral Gap Data Centers solar energy project is slated to receive a pilot grant of $500,000 from the $10 million in federal grant money Virginia received to develop AML sites, pending final review by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). The grant will help accelerate development of what Mineral Gap Data Centers envisions as a solar farm generating up to 3.5 megawatts of renewable power.
"Mineral Gap Data Centers is proud to be part of this initiative to bring solar power to Southwestern Virginia and grow green energy into a long-term economic opportunity for the people and businesses of this region," said Marc Silverstein, spokesperson for Mineral Gap Data Centers. "We see this as the opening act for solar power and renewables in Wise County and all of Southwestern Virginia. We're excited to be partnering with Sun Tribe Solar on this project, and we appreciate the work that Governor Northam and Congressman Griffith did to bring funding to the table."
The planned solar farm will provide clean power for the data center, which will relieve demand on the surrounding electrical grid. More importantly, the installation signals the start of what Mineral Gap Data Centers and others believe will be an energy renaissance based on renewables for Wise County and all of Southwest Virginia — which will be a boon to the region's economy.
"At Sun Tribe, we're focused on renewable energy innovation which will ensure that as communities throughout Virginia look to build 21st century economies, solar is going to play a critical role in powering the future," said Taylor Brown, Chief Technical Officer of Sun Tribe Solar. "We know that solar can succeed when projects are built in partnership with local stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, and this funding from Virginia's Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy shows the strength of the partners we've found in the teams at the Wise County IDA and Mineral Gap Data Centers."
About Mineral Gap Data Centers
Located on a 22-acre site in the Lonesome Pine Regional Business and Technology Park in Wise, Virginia, Mineral Gap — a 65,000-square-foot, Tier III Uptime Institute data center — has been recognized for the highest standards in design, construction and operational sustainability, housing mission-critical data and business assets for a wide range of private companies and state and federal government agencies. Learn more at https://dpfacilities.com/.
About Sun Tribe Solar
Sun Tribe Solar is an industry leader in the development, engineering, procurement, construction and operation of large-scale solar facilities. Sun Tribe Solar team members bring over 2 GW of renewable energy experience having built generating facilities for utilities including Dominion, PSEG, Exelon, and Entergy. Sun Tribe Solar engineers and project managers have led the design and construction of projects ranging in size from 2 MW to 64 MW.
SOURCE Mineral Gap Data Centers
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