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Updated: May 16, 2026 @ 1:33 am
RWS wants to sell the energy captured by the sprawling solar panels to Santee Cooper, which they will sell to their customers.
RWS wants to sell the energy captured by the sprawling solar panels to Santee Cooper, which they will sell to their customers.
The Cross area in northern Berkeley County is a largely forest land. Along its main junctions on S.C. 6 and S.C 45, are the telltale signs of a rural community. Churches, patches of homes and farmland are enveloped by stands of tall pines and oaks.
Now, residents of Cross are confronted with a plan for a massive solar farm under consideration. At the May 11 council meeting, representatives from RWE Americas asked members to lift the moratorium on large scale development.
RWE has developed multiple energy farms in other states, including Michigan, Virginia, Nevada and California. Now, the company has eyes on Cross in Berkeley County. While the moratorium consists of 7,500 acres, the Sandy Run Solar Project would cover an area of 1,500 acres around County Line Road and George Wigfall Road.
The company wants to put a 1,500-acre energy generating site on the land to produce a 198-megawatt solar energy generating station, according to the request provided to council. The company will sell the energy captured by the sprawling solar panels to Santee Cooper, which they will sell to their customers.
The company reports that the site will create jobs and will eventually mean cheaper electric bills. But residents from the community were not impressed, all offering a resounding, “No”
“This is not a good thing for the community of Cross,” said Cross resident Robert Barrett on May 11. “There will be big and little promises made, but the bottom line is it will destroy 7,500 acres for wildlife for no reason,”
“This solar farm will impact the land by converting this natural area into an industrial style energy site, causing soil compaction, erosion and habitat destruction,” said Sylvia Zakczewski, echoing other concerned Cross residents.
Another person who voiced their opinion was county supervisor Johnny Cribb, who, for the second time in as many meetings, had to quell disgruntled community members. On April 28, the Lazy Hill development vote was up for vote. Council tabled that until it’s May 26, meeting.
“I am against large scale solar farms in this county because of the reality of our county,” Cribb said. “I won’t vote on this tonight because I don’t vote at committee. This comes to council in two weeks, and I’ll only vote if there is a tie vote. But, I want to the public to know how I feel about this. If the tie vote came to me in two weeks, I would vote no.”
District 7 council member Caldwell Pinckney represents Cross. He defended his community during the meeting, stating that Cross is the wrong spot for a solar farm.
“If you lived in Cross, each one of you, you wouldn’t want that coming into your community. I know you wouldn’t” said Pinckney, directing his words toward other council members. “From all standpoints, it’s not an asset. It’s a liability. It has no means for quality of life. The only thing it has is for somebody to put money in their pockets, and it’s not the citizens.”
The outcry from the public and the aforementioned elected didn’t move the other members. The motion carried to approve the moratorium lift prior to first reading. Council member Amy Stern gave her reasoning for the vote to approve.
“To my knowledge, this program has come to us because Santee Cooper flat out has said they need more power. They are not going to have enough power by 2029,” Stern stated. “Because of Santee Cooper asking for this is why I vote to lift the moratorium tonight, just so we can get some more information.”
The proposal is up for an official vote at the May 26 Berkeley Council meeting.
The Berkeley Independent
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