Nancy Payne Bruns. Dickinson Group photo.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Dickinson Group Executive Chair Nancy Payne Bruns said given the challenges facing the economy and climate in West Virginia, now was the time to pursue renewable energy projects in the Mountain State.
The Dickinson Group, which has more than 200 years of operation in natural resources, real estate and banking sectors in West Virginia, announced this week a joint venture with Edelen Renewables out of Kentucky to pursue those projects and other green initiatives in West Virginia.
The venture will focus on identifying sites in West Virginia for potential development for solar, wind or reforestation projects.
“We think generationally, not just three or four years at a time. We wanted to make sure we did it right. We decided on Edelen Renewables as our partner going forward,” Bruns told MetroNews.
The Dickinson Group has created a new company – Dickinson Renewables – to spearhead the business’s solar, wind and reforestation initiatives, a release stated. They will do so in partnership with Kentucky-based Edelen Renewables.
Bruns told MetroNews that they have a commitment to West Virginia as landowners to continue to bring in new industry and provide jobs.
“We’re not giving up on coal for sure but we wanted to do the right thing for the climate and environment going forward,” she said.
Adam Edelen, Founder & CEO of Edelen Renewables said in the release, “Our mission is to bring the promise of renewable energy to the people and communities that powered the industrial development of this country for a century, our miners and coal communities.”