Lake of the Woods Democratic Club

Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, will offer his assessment of the first year of the Biden presidency at the Lake of the Woods Community Center on Saturday, April 30.

The event is sponsored by the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club and the Orange County Democratic Committee, and is open to all without regard to political affiliation. The free program will begin at 3 p.m. in Marion Pronk Hall at the LOW Community Center. The lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Dr. Farnsworth is a recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. He is one of the few political scientists who focus on Virginia politics.

His research has direct policy implications for both politicians and the news media. He handles hundreds of media contacts a year on local, state and international matters, and appears in or on such outlets as C-SPAN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, National Public Radio and PBS News Hour. He holds a Ph.D. degree and a master’s degree from Georgetown University and bachelor’s degrees from both the University of Missouri and Dartmouth College.

Farnsworth is the author or co-author of seven books on the presidency, the mass media and public opinion. His most recent book, written with S. Robert Lichter, is  “Late Night with Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency,” published by Routledge Press.

Dominion Energy is constructing a 62.5-watt solar facility on a 663-acre site just five miles southwest of Lake of the Woods.

The Lake of the Woods Democratic Club has invited a representative of the company to explain and answer questions about the project at its monthly meeting February 9 in Classroom 2 at the LOW Community Center. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. with a meet-and-greet session, and the program will commence at 1:30 p.m.

Sarah Marshall, external affairs manager for Dominion Energy, will discuss the project, called Madison Solar, the first utility-scale solar project in Orange County.

Construction at the facility, located off Route 20 near Locust Grove Primary School, began in August 2021. It is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year.

About 200 workers will be employed in erecting framework, installing solar panels, doing environmental monitoring and electrical work during the construction phase. After the project begins operation, very few employees will remain on site.

Dominion Energy has estimated that the project will generate about $200,000 per year in direct benefit to Orange County through taxes, according to a company spokesman.

When in operation, the Madison Solar plant is expected to supply 62.5 megawatts of electricity, which will be used by Northrop Grumman Corp., of Falls Church, a defense technology contractor, to meet its renewable energy goals.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a special use permit for the project in December 2017 for SolUnesco, a company based in Reston, Virginia. One year later, SolUnesco sold the undeveloped project to Cypress Creek Renewables, a California-based company. Dominion Energy acquired the project in August 2021 as part of a bid to expand its clean energy portfolio. Dominion currently has about 20 solar projects either completed or under construction in Virginia.

Marshall has been with Dominion’s external affairs department for six years and its manager since January 2021. She is a graduate of James Madison University and holds a master of public administration degree from Clemson University. She lives in Madison County.

The meeting will be open to the public without regard to political affiliation. Face coverings and social distancing will be required for safety.

Dominion Energy’s Madison Solar project

Solar power programs at Dominion Energy