Shawboro East Ridge Solar, LLC was granted an amendment to an existing special use permit for a solar energy facility in Shawboro.
The original permit was granted in March of 2023 but adjusted and expanded by 86 acres due to wetlands that were discovered on the property. The overall proposed project area is 643 acres and the total parcel size is 1702 acres.
“That sounds like a really big number, but a large portion of that is not proposed to be developed. It was actually included in order to move the required setbacks outward to the outer bounds of those included parcels to allow the panels to be constructed closer to the parcel lines,” explained county planning staff.
Beth Trahos, attorney for the applicant with Fox Rothschild LLP, said the amendment “reflects a more realistic site design based on additional engineering information that has been obtained during that three-year period.” Though expanded by acreage, Tos said the project retains the existing 150 megawatt generation plan.
Solar expert Cody Jannise of SunEnergy1 said that the layout was reconfigured to protect sensitive environmental features that were not known when the original special use permit was granted.
He also noted the benefits of solar farms: they are a temporary use that retains large tracts of land for development in the future while still allowing local landowners to financially benefit from their property, and they generate tax revenue for Currituck County with little demand on public facilities or county services.
According to the Jannise, Shawboro East Ridge Solar’s current solar farm pays apprxomiately $233,000 in taxes to the county each year, and they expect that the proposed project will generate an additional $290,000 in taxes annually.
“The useful life of a solar farm is approximately 40 years. Over that time, the county could collect nearly $12 million to use in providing beneficial services to the community,” he added.
During public comment, about a half dozen community members spoke up.
Jim Farraby said he was in favor of it and still plans to farm around the panels. “It’s going to pay a lot of taxes to help fund our sheriff's office, our fire department … and I'm also glad to see Currituck County embracing green energy. It's a good thing, and I appreciate you all being at the forefront of that.”
Paul Beaumont was one of the few dissenting voices for the solar farm, expressing concern about the increase in acreage being used and the potential for fires. He cited an explosion that occurred on a solar farm in Moyock. “It's not a question of if those transformers can explode,” Beaumont said. “We know they do, and we know they can.”
In the applicant’s closing arguments, SunEnergy1 president and CEO Kenny Habul responded to critiques.
He affirmed that the project is not an expansion of what was originally requested. In 2023, the company submitted an indicative sketch based on factors known at the time. Once approvals were granted from state and federal authorities, a proper design was created.
Regarding farms, Kabul claimed that the Moyock transformer was shot at with a high-powered rifle. “They do not catch fire for no reason,” he stated.
“I have installed thousands of transformers … and I have never seen a substation fire. I've never seen a transformer fire. Can they fail? Yes, they fail. They turn off. They don't work. They don't just catch fire and combust for no reason. This is not common. This was shot at.”
Currituck commissioners approved the request unanimously.

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