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Solar permitting — Fairfax County, Virginia

FIPS 51059

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

D
Fairfax County, VA
Risk score 65/100 · Full scorecard →
Compliance: Very HighTrajectory: ImprovingSaturation: Low

Fully developed urban/suburban county; no viable utility-scale solar land despite progressive political environment. Permitting: N/A — fully urbanized; 50-ft setback; hard Not applicable — fully urbanized; no utility-s…

Permitting process

Local permitting pathway

N/A — fully urbanized; no utility-scale pathway

Setbacks & buffers

Fairfax County-specific SE/SUP conditions control — county-set setbacks vary from 50 ft (rural) to 300+ ft (residential adjacent). Verify current Fairfax 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

Not applicable — fully urbanized; no utility-scale solar pathway exists

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

Full state policy & grid detail

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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting

BESS ORDINANCE IN DRAFT — Fairfax County, VA staff drafting Zoning Ordinance amendments for BESS

Setback: 200 ft

Local BESS ordinances & bylaws

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.

SitePath maintains the most complete community-opposition dataset available, refreshed continuously from primary sources.

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Energy-related meetings & dockets P1

solar · bess · data center · wind · transmission

Halo color matches the energy category tagged on each meeting.

  • Planning Commission
    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 an accessory use.

  • Other
    Solar

    The county is analyzing and identifying high-impact, energy-saving projects, including installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

  • Other
    Wind

    Fairfax County discussed wind turbine regulations and referenced nearby jurisdictions' policies.

  • Other
    Solar

    Fairfax County plans to install solar PV systems on county buildings with low or no upfront costs.

  • County Board
    BESS

    The Land Use Policy Committee discussed and planned the development of a battery energy storage systems policy.

  • Planning Commission
    Data Center

    The Planning Commission approved a large-scale battery energy storage system for use in Fairfax County.

  • Zoning Board
    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 an accessory use.

  • Other
    Solar

    The applicant is proposing the addition of solar panels to the rear roof and storage battery to the rear of the home.

  • Other
    BESS

    The Land Use Policy Committee discussed and planned the development of a battery energy storage systems policy.

  • Zoning Board
    BESS

    Fairfax County is reviewing zoning provisions for Battery Energy Storage Systems as part of its Zoning Ordinance Work Program.

  • Other
    Solar

    Fairfax County begins construction of a solar array on a closed landfill.

  • County Board
    BESS

    The Land Use Policy Committee discussed and planned the development of a battery energy storage systems policy.

  • Planning Commission
    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 an accessory use.

  • Planning Commission
    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 an accessory use.

  • Other
    Solar

    The county is analyzing and identifying high-impact, energy-saving projects, including installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

  • Planning Commission
    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 an accessory use.

  • Planning Commission
    Data Center

    Data Center use has been added as a newly-defined use, but is no longer allowed by-right in certain districts.

  • Other
    Solar

    - 4:30 p.m., Mon - Fri 703-324-5033 TTY 711 DPWESPublic-Info-Office@fairfaxcounty.gov 12000 Government Center Parkway Suite 448 Fairfax, VA 22035 @ffxPublicWorks Sharon North Public Information Officer Department Resources Contact Us Public

  • Other
    Solar

    The county is analyzing and identifying high-impact, energy-saving projects, including installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

  • Planning Commission
    BESS

    The 2026 Infrastructure Committee discussed a battery storage project.

  • Planning Commission
    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 an accessory use.

  • Planning Commission
    Data Center

    The Committee received a presentation by staff regarding a data center project.

  • Other
    BESS

    Fairfax County is reviewing zoning provisions for Battery Energy Storage Systems as part of its Zoning Ordinance Work Program.

  • Zoning Board
    BESS

    The Planning Commission discussed a battery storage project.

  • Planning Commission
    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 an accessory use.

  • Planning Commission
    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 an accessory use.

  • County Board
    Transmission

    Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority to issue tax-exempt bonds for Murraygate Village Apartments renovation

More energy-related meetings

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State PSC dockets P1

No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.

Local news P3

More news items

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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 2026-10-11. See the county risk scorecard or the full Virginia permitting index.