MORGANTOWN – The 1,154-acre Brandonville Solar project has received the green light from the Public Service Commission.
“The commission has thoroughly reviewed all filings in this matter, including the letters of protest,” it said in an order posted Friday afternoon. “The Commission concludes that the project is not contrary to the public interest due to its positive economic impact on Preston County and the state.”
Among the conditions PSC lists, the company must begin construction within five years and complete construction within 10 years.
The actual timeline should be much shorter. Brandonville Solar expects the site to be operational by Dec. 31, 2027, with construction starting on Dec. 2, 2026.
Brandonville Solar’s 100 megawatt solar project is planned to sit on 1,154 acres between Glade Run and Big Sandy Creek, about one mile northwest of Brandonville. It would have an initial 35-year lifespan, which could be extended through regular maintenance and replacement of equipment.
The company filed for the siting certificate on Oct. 6, 2025. It was quickly fast-tracked, with PSC on Oct. 20 finding the application substantially complete.
On Jan. 6 this year, PSC staff recommended PSC approval of the project, without an evidentiary hearing, noting that seven letters of protest had been filed.
The letters addressed a few similar themes: preference of using the land for farming; loss of animal habitat, hunting grounds and scenic views; health and environmental concerns. The company addressed most of those concerns in a Nov. 14 letter to one of the writers, which it also filed with the PSC.
Brandonville Solar is a subsidiary of Enel North America, part of Enel Group, a sustainable energy company headquartered in Andover, Mass. It has more than 850 employees and maintains a portfolio of around 12 gigawatts of projects in operation across nine U.S. states and one Canadian province. Its renewables division in the U.S. and Canada operates as Enel Green Power North America.
Brandonville Solar estimates the project will cost more than $174 million. It will connect with an existing FirstEnergy transmission line in the area. There will be no transmission towers; and no battery storage system at this time.
The project footprint consists of three solar energy leases totaling 752 acres and a Purchase Option Agreement describing about 402 acres. The PV solar modules and other project components require about 469 acres of land within the overall 1,154-acre project boundary.
