Solar permitting — King George County, Virginia
On file: public meetings, local news, known opposition groups.
Standard SUP pathway; rural Northern Neck county; limited track record; manageable friction. Permitting: A-1; 50-ft setback. Track record: Multiple CUP approvals 2018–2023. Political environment: Republican majority; community: cauti…
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
A-1, Agricultural | SUP
Setbacks & buffers
King George County-specific SE/SUP conditions control — county-set setbacks vary from 50 ft (rural) to 300+ ft (residential adjacent). Verify current King George 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
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 records for this county are part of a SitePath subscription.
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 records for this county are part of a SitePath subscription.
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
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.
- r/Virginia on Reddit: A dangerous precedent? How a GOP state senator’s solar project alarmed conservationists Solar
- Farmland vs Solar Solar
- King George Planning Commission 06-10-2025 6/12/25 Page 1 of 67 Solar
SitePath maintains the most complete community-opposition dataset available, refreshed continuously from primary sources.
Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
- Project track record
- Developer intelligence
- Governing board
Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
Halo color matches the energy category tagged on each meeting.
- 2025-09-09 Planning CommissionSolar
Foroughi introduced Z-2025-00240, Caledon Solar LLC Special Exception request.
- 2025-05-20 County BoardData Center
Dahlgren West informed me that they plan to erect a massive data center.
- 2024-08-20 County BoardSolar
Finally, on the 22nd, on Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00, also at the library, the Gibson Solar Project will be having another one of their town hall meetings to talk about the potential to bring a solar farm into the county.
- 2024-06-13 Utility BoardSolar
Ryan Gilchrist gave an overview of the Gibson Solar project in King George County.
- 2024-01-16 County BoardData Center
King George County is considering a data center project and its potential impact on residents.
- 2023-08-29 County BoardData Center
Discussion of data center project's initial application, which included 600 acres of solar power.
- 2023-08-15 County BoardData Center
Discussion of data center project's initial application, which included 600 acres of solar power.
- 2023-05-30 OtherBESS
King George County staff requested a review of battery storage system standards.
- 2022-11-15 OtherData Center
King George County officials discuss using data center revenue for capital improvements
- 2021-03-09 Planning CommissionSolar
Pancotti stated The King George County Zoning Ordinance (KGZO) defines a solar farm as “ an area of land designated for the purpose of producing electricity from photovoltaics.
- 2020-11-17 OtherBESS
King George County discussed a battery storage project in an economic development breakout session
- 2020-09-08 OtherData Center
County officials are aware of amendments to the ordinance related to a data center project.
- 2017-04-11 Planning CommissionSolar
The King George County Planning Commission approved a zoning ordinance text amendment to allow solar farms in certain districts by special exception permit.
- OtherData Center
Planning Commission discussed a data center project and considered revising height restrictions
- OtherData Center
Planning Commission discussed a data center project and considered revising height restrictions
- OtherBESS
King George County staff requested a review of battery storage system standards, including benchmark communities.
- OtherBESS
King George County updated its zoning ordinance to include regulations for solar energy facilities, including battery storage systems.
Full records for this county are part of a SitePath subscription.
State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Local news P3
- 2026-05-04 Virginia Court Case Could Influence Other Data Center Fights
- 2026-04-16 Data Center Protests Are Growing How Should The Industry Respond
- 2026-02-02 Why Data Center Development Is Moving To New Markets
Filter by grade, state, moratorium status, and compliance stringency. Compare counties side by side.