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A planned solar farm on the former site of the Campostella Landfill is still in the works, with construction slated to begin in the spring of 2027.
Norfolk City Council members unanimously approved extending a conditional use permit for a solar array planned for the former landfill at an April 28 meeting.
The project, while smaller — 5 megawatts of power instead of the initially planned 8 megawatts — is still in the works, said Michael Borkowski, founder of developer Community Power Group.
Borkowski said the project was downsized due to the constraints of the landfill site. The site, which is located behind the Diggs Town public housing development, was a dumping ground for city construction and demolition debris from 1944 to 1996, according to previous reporting by The Virginian-Pilot.
Borkowski said the project is also now applying to become part of Dominion Energy’s Shared Solar Program in which homeowners and renters can sign on to a solar project and receive credits on their monthly power bills.
“It works like a community solar program, and it allows people to subscribe to the solar facility for discounted electric,” Borkowski said.
Residents who subscribe to the program could save 5-10% on monthly power bills, according to planning documents. Several Hampton Roads projects have been approved to the program, such as a Chesapeake solar project near Centerville Turnpike South, or are on a waitlist, such as a Suffolk project on King’s Fork Road.
Norfolk City Council approved the Campostella development in mid-2023. Borkowski said the project encountered some delays with an interconnection study with Dominion, but that study is now complete.
He said he hopes to begin construction in spring 2027.
The 59-acre landfill site is unsuitable for other redevelopment due to environmental hazards like ground instability and possible contamination, according to the city.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
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