It has been obvious that the strip mines on sliced-off mountaintops are roomy enough to fully power WV and KY with wind and solar, and much more. Now that renewables are cheaper than coal, we are taking that idea seriously for the first time. But there are obstacles.
Here's how we turn former coal mine lands in West Virginia into solar fields
Around a quarter of a million people are employed by the solar industry at this time. The plan explains that West Virginia could encourage investment in its existing solar industry to increase rooftop installations and convert former mine lands into solar fields. Eriks Brolis, economic development lead for The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia, said in a statement that the state just needs the right policies in place.
“By encouraging the development of large-scale solar on former surface coal mines, West Virginia has an historic opportunity to build upon its legacy as a domestic energy provider," Brolis said. "With a fair and predictable state policy framework, a new energy economy could emerge: creating jobs for miners to apply transferable skills, generating valuable lease revenues for landowners and replenishing the tax base for local communities—all while helping to attract new employers and industries to the state.”
The more than 500 MTR sites in several states occupy more than 2000 square miles, which is 8% of the area of West Virginia.