The Warren Sentinel

July 16, 2009

Greener future, bluer skies, solar farms?

By: Meghan Moeslein

FRONT ROYAL — Town officials have been hearing their fill of solar energy pros and cons in recent weeks, and last week made the decision to allow Mayor Gene Tewalt and Town Manager Mike Graham to travel to New York to sit in on a meeting that could help decide where a solar farm can/should go.

“Obviously this is a new frontier, and anything that’s new is scary. We want to make sure that the staff is on board 100 percent along with our elected officials and citizens,” said Vice Mayor Bret Hrbek.

Congress has been looking over new energy bills due in part to prompting by President Barrack Obama. Front Royal officials have said in meetings that if a solar field is to be built here, they would like to see Obama cut the ribbon himself.

“I think it’s important that the town is looking at such a progressive thing, we are looking into the future. This should be very beneficial for the environment as well as everyone’s pocketbooks,” Hrbek said. “The next step we are looking at is securing a place and making sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed.”

Front Royal has infrastructure in place, a substation in place and properties available for the solar farm. The Avtex Fibers SuperFund site, one of the biggest on the East Coast, could end up home to one of the most environmentally friendly projects of its kind, which also happens to be the first on the East Coast of this magnitude.

Both Hrbek and Graham have stated that while there are some concerns, the more information becomes available, the brighter the future looks.

“We’re serious about this project and about making a commitment to the future of Front Royal,” said Hrbek.

With the completion of the solar farm, the plant to produce the panels, the creation of jobs, and the clean up of whatever site is chosen, Front Royal will be the first town to have a solar farm that could span 150 acres. The $200 million investment has the potential to make “millions and billions” of dollars for the town, according to Hrbek and Graham, making Front Royal not only a dot on the map but a place to call home for many environmentally sound businesses and decisions.