Does Chesapeake County, Virginia have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-05-02, Chesapeake County, Virginia has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is Chesapeake County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Chesapeake County, Virginia has a SitePath solar permitting grade of B — risk score 35/100 (Moderate Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-05-02.

What are the solar permitting rules in Chesapeake County, Virginia?

Ordinance status: No specific solar ordinance recorded. Score has been stable over the last 12 months. See the full primary-source record — ordinance links, setbacks, board actions, and project history — on this page.

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Virginia

Chesapeake County

FIPS 51550

Chesapeake County, Virginia: solar permitting grade B (score 35/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 35/100

Moderate Risk

Public summary

Grade	B · Moderate Risk · Score 35/100
Population	249,422
Solar ordinance	No specific solar ordinance recorded
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Stable (no material ordinance movement)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Chesapeake County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Virginia's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.

Local intel

On file: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups

1600-05-01Solar
Please read the Special Note on Conditional Use Permits for Solar Farms (PDF) prior to submitting an application for a Solar Farm. · agenda
Data Center
City Council approved an ordinance related to data center permitting requirements in Chesapeake. · agenda
Solar
City Council considers a one-year extension for a previously approved conditional use permit for the Centerville South Solar Farm. · agenda

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

Local governments in Chesapeake County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.

Chesapeake city

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.

Nearby counties

Portsmouth County · ≈13 miB33—
Virginia Beach County · ≈17 miB32—
Norfolk County · ≈17 miB38—
Suffolk County · ≈18 miB41—
Camden County, NC · ≈25 miC49—
Hampton County · ≈25 miA28—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Chesapeake County ranks #36 of 133 ranked Virginia counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Virginia: Charlottesville County (A · 23), Manassas Park County (A · 27), Falls Church County (A · 27). See all Virginia county grades →

Want the full record?

Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.

Open the full Chesapeake County profile → Request a demo

About this score

Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →