A former surface coal mine in Wise County is the planned location of a new solar energy project.

The Wildcats Solar project is slated for the former Indian Creek surface mine along U.S. Route 23 near Pound, according to WJHL.

The Nature Conservancy and TerraForm Power Operating LLC are working on the effort.

From former mine to proposed energy site

Redeveloping previously disturbed land can offer communities a different approach to siting new infrastructure.

For Southwest Virginia, where coal production has shaped generations of employment and land use, the proposal connects an established energy history with a newer technology.

The announcement indicates construction is expected to begin soon, but does not establish that the entire facility has been completed or begun generating power.

Questions for the next phase

Local readers will want to know the confirmed construction schedule, the project's output, any long-term maintenance arrangements and its potential community impacts.

Those details should be evaluated from project documents and official updates rather than assumed from the announcement alone.

Tri-Cities Daily will follow the project as it moves from planning toward construction.