Solar permitting — Patrick County, Virginia
On file: public meetings, known opposition groups.
No dedicated solar ordinance; rural SW Virginia county; very limited market activity. Permitting: Board discretion / SUP; 50-ft setback. Track record: Stuart Solar (unnamed developer). Political environment: Republican majority; comm…
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Board discretion / SUP
Setbacks & buffers
300 ft from property lines; 300 ft from occupied dwellings; 200-300 ft from public roads
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 / Appalachian Power Company (APCo) 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
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.
- All the latest updates on AI data centers Data center
- Patrick County citizens speak up against solar farms Solar
- Trump wants to bribe energy companies to kill wind energy Wind
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.
- OtherSolar
The Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on an amendment to the Patrick County Solar Policy.
- OtherSolar
Discussion of the solar ordinance.
- County BoardBESS
RECITALS WHEREAS, Applicant intends to build a solar project (the “Project”) on certain parcels of land identified as Patrick County Tax Map Parcels 4811-37, 4911-72, 4811-88, and 4811-88-A (collectively, the “Property”); WHEREAS, the Appli
- OtherBESS
§ 2.3.4 State Corporation Commission Coordination 2.3.4.1 CPCN Application Timing - Applicants must notify Patrick County within 15 days of filing SCC CPCN application - Patrick County shall have 90 days to provide comments to SCC on local i
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
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Filter by grade, state, moratorium status, and compliance stringency. Compare counties side by side.