Does Fairfax County, Virginia have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Fairfax County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Fairfax County, Virginia has a SitePath solar permitting grade of D — risk score 65/100 (High 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 Fairfax County, Virginia?

Ordinance status: Active, restrictive solar ordinance. 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

Fairfax County

FIPS 51059

Fairfax County, Virginia: solar permitting grade D (score 65/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 65/100

High Risk

Public summary

Grade	D · High Risk · Score 65/100
Population	1,150,309
Solar ordinance	Active, restrictive solar ordinance
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Improving (ordinance direction easing)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Fairfax County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Virginia's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.

Local intel

On file: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups

BESS
The Land Use Policy Committee discussed and planned the development of a battery energy storage systems policy. · agenda
Solar
Solar Power Facility is added as a new use for utility - scale operations; this does not apply to the private collection of solar energy that is permitted as… · agenda
BESS
The committee will discuss and vote on a proposal for battery energy storage systems and substations. · agenda

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Clifton town
Herndon town
Occoquan town
Vienna town

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

Nearby counties

Fairfax City · ≈2 miB32—
Falls Church County · ≈6 miA27—
Arlington County · ≈10 miC50—
Manassas Park County · ≈10 miA27—
Alexandria County · ≈11 miB36—
Manassas County · ≈13 miB32—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Fairfax County ranks #125 of 133 ranked Virginia counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Virginia: Charlottesville County (A · 23), Falls Church County (A · 27), Manassas Park 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 Fairfax 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 →