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Solar permitting — Chesterfield County, Virginia

FIPS 51041

On file: public meetings, PSC dockets, local news, known opposition groups.

D
Chesterfield County, VA
Risk score 61/100 · Full scorecard →
Compliance: Very HighTrajectory: StableSaturation: Very High

Not a typical utility-scale county; pathway is discretionary and land constraints are significant. Permitting: Large Scale Solar Energy Facility regulated via Special Exception under county code; 50-ft setback; hard No co…

Permitting process

Local permitting pathway

Large Scale Solar Energy Facility regulated via Special Exception under county code (historically tied to electrical generating facilities use category).

Setbacks & buffers

Chesterfield County-specific SE/SUP conditions control — county-set setbacks vary from 50 ft (rural) to 300+ ft (residential adjacent). Verify current Chesterfield County zoning ordinance for adopted local setback standards. — NOTE: the distances above are a STATE-level fallback, not a figure read from this county's own ordinance. We hold siting-rule records for this county which may include a stricter local limit we have not yet extracted. Verify against the county's own ordinance before relying on these.

Spacing requirements

None codified

Size restrictions

None codified; managed via SUP/site plan

Penalties & bonding

No penalties or adjustments. Standard CUP/SUP process.

State-level permits & approvals

Local permit: Special Use Permit (SUP) or Conditional Use Permit (CUP) in A-1 Agricultural zoning; issued by Board of Supervisors (BOS) or Planning Commission per county ordinance. Counties without zoning (Buchanan, Russell, Lee, Scott, etc.) proceed via revenue-sharing siting agreements. SCC CPCN: Va. Code §56-580 (as amended by HB 1558/SB 762, eff. Jul 2021) — SCC Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity required for generating facilities ≥5 MW; waivable for utility-owned projects under SCC-approved IRP. DEQ Permit by Rule (PBR): Required for all solar facilities ≥1 MW per Va. Code §10.1-1197.6; includes VSMP/VPDES erosion & stormwater permits. Mar 2022 DEQ rule: solar panels counted as impervious surface same as parking lots. Revenue sharing: Va. Code §15.2-2288.7 — localities may require up to $1,400/MW-year for utility-scale solar on agricultural or forestal land; increases 10% in year 1 then every 5 years thereafter. VDACS notice: VA Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services must be notified for projects converting prime agricultural or forestal land. PENDING LEGISLATION (as of Mar 11, 2026): HB 711 (Herring) / SB 347 (VanValkenburg) both cleared both chambers and await Gov. Spanberger's signature (session ends Mar 14, 2026). If signed: (1) all localities must allow solar ≥1 MW via special exception — outright bans illegal; (2) statewide setback floor: 150–200 ft non-participating dwellings, 50–100 ft from state roads, 100–250 ft from streams/wetlands, 50–75 ft from property lines; (3) localities retain denial authority but must report reasons to SCC public database; (4) companion HB 891/SB 443: BESS permitted accessory use on approved solar SE sites. Spanberger is pro-solar; signature expected. Monitor: lis.virginia.gov.

Full permitting requirements

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State policy & grid context

State RPS & clean energy policy

100% carbon-free by 2050 (Dominion), 2045 (APCo) | Virginia Clean Economy Act (2020) | Va. Code §56-585.5

State incentive programs

Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA, 2020): Dominion must reach 100% carbon-free by 2045; Appalachian Power by 2050; major driver of utility-scale solar procurement. Net metering: available under VCEA for systems up to 1 MW (by-right); large-scale behind-the-meter negotiated. SCC SolarShare: Dominion program offering renewable energy credits. Virtual net metering (Virginia): programs vary by utility. DEQ review: required for solar facilities ≥150 MW (permit by rule) or DEQ standalone review. Utility: Dominion Energy Virginia serves 2/3 of VA; Appalachian Power (AEP) serves western VA; Northern Virginia Electric Coop (NOVEC) serves NoVA exurbs; various rural cooperatives and municipal utilities.

Grid & interconnection

PJM / Dominion Energy Virginia (DEV) transmission zone

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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting

Standalone BESS (not co-located with approved solar): still requires county SE/SUP and host siting agreement

Local BESS ordinances & bylaws

Tracked storage projects

County-level battery-storage status, safety requirements, and projects — each linked to a primary source.

Community opposition P1

Organized opposition signals on record for this county — petitions, community groups, and oppositional coverage — each linked to its primary source.

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Energy-related meetings & dockets P1

data center · solar · bess

Halo color matches the energy category tagged on each meeting.

  • Other
    Data Center

    Proposed ordinance to allocate data center revenue to reduce 'Car Tax' rate

  • Other
    Data Center

    Board deferred action on a proposed ordinance to allocate data center revenue to reduce personal property tax rate on vehicles.

  • County Board
    BESS

    Conditional use permit requested for a battery energy storage facility in a Heavy Industrial District.

  • Other
    Data Center

    Board deferred action on a proposed ordinance to allocate data center revenue to reduce personal property tax rate on vehicles.

  • Other
    Data Center

    Proposed ordinance to allocate all local data center revenue to cutting 'Car Tax' rate

  • Other
    Data Center

    County declares environmental, noise, and aesthetic conditions in data center zoning cases as permanent covenants.

  • Other
    Data Center

    Board deferred action on a proposed ordinance to allocate data center revenue to reduce personal property tax rate on vehicles.

  • County Board
    Data Center

    Chesterfield County approved a data center project application

  • Other
    BESS

    The county is considering amendments to zoning regulations, including changes related to solar energy facilities and mobile food vending.

  • Other
    Data Center

    The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on an ordinance allocating data center revenue to reduce the 'Car Tax' rate.

More energy-related meetings

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State PSC dockets P1

Local news P3

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Data sources: public agendas/minutes from local government sites; PSC dockets from state regulators; news from GDELT and curated RSS. Last refreshed 2026-10-07. See the county risk scorecard or the full Virginia permitting index.