Solar permitting — Powhatan County, Virginia
On file: public meetings, known opposition groups.
Standard SUP pathway; rural-to-suburban transition county west of Richmond; moderate friction. Permitting: A-1; 50-ft setback. Track record: Scott Solar I (Dominion Energy). Political environment: Republican majority; community: caut…
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
A-1, Agricultural | SUP
Setbacks & buffers
Powhatan County-specific SE/SUP conditions control — county-set setbacks vary from 50 ft (rural) to 300+ ft (residential adjacent). Verify current Powhatan 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.
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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.
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.
- 2025-11-17 County BoardData Center
Ordinance O-2025-31 for Zoning Case 25-11-REZ-C: Newport Equities LLC (District 1/Manakin) request to conditionally rezone 61.8 acres northeast of the Page Road and Anderson Highway intersection on Tax Map 43-62 from Agriculture 10 (A-10)to
- 2025-11-05 Planning CommissionData Center
Winall pointed out the area designated for the data center and stated that it had been recommended to be converted to Economic Priority.
- 2025-10-27 County BoardData Center
Ordinance O-2025-31 for Zoning Case 25-11-REZ-C: Newport Equities LLC (District 1/Manakin) request to conditionally rezone 61.8 acres northeast of the Page Road and Anderson Highway intersection on Tax Map 43-62 from Agriculture 10 (A-10)to
- 2025-10-07 Planning CommissionData Center
8 acres northeast of the Page Road and Anderson Highway intersection on Tax Map 43-62 from Agriculture 10 (A-10) to Light Industrial (1-1) with proffered conditions related to data center development.
- 2025-03-24 County BoardData Center
Residents expressed concerns about tax rate increase, Lake Shawnee situation, and data center construction.
- 2024-07-22 County BoardSolar
O-2023-27 (Case 23-07-ZA): The County of Powhatan requests the 112 amendments of the provisions set forth in Chapter 83 (Zoning Ordinance) Article I II (rural districts), Section 83-150 (agricultural-20), Section 83-152(conditiona l uses),
- 2024-06-24 County BoardSolar
Planning Commission approved plan to streamline solar energy farm regulations
- 2024-05-07 Planning CommissionData Center
LC West LLC is requesting a conditional use permit to exceed the 45-foot height limit for principal data center structures in Powhatan County.
- 2024-04-29 County BoardSolar
Substantial Accord Appeal 23-03-CUP: Solomons Creek Solar District #3: (Bethesda/Lee’s Landing) requests a conditional use permit (CUP) to permit a solar energy farm in the Agricultural-10 (A-10) zoning district per Sec.
- 2024-03-05 Planning CommissionBESS
Chairman Hatcher questions the classification of a battery storage project as a solar energy farm due to concerns about fire risks and visual screening.
- 2023-12-05 Planning CommissionSolar
Planning Commission discussed a Conditional Use Solar Energy Farm amendment
- 2022-03-28 County BoardSolar
Board to consider decision on solar project carefully due to potential erosion and health risks.
- 2021-04-19 County BoardSolar
Discussion of Zoning Standards for Solar Energy Farms E. Discussion of the Following Zoning Districts: Village Center (VC), Village Center Planned Development (VC-PD), Village Residential (VR), Village Residential Planned Development (VR-PD
- 2020-03-09 Utility BoardSolar
The board is asked to approve bonds for a solar project initiated by the school.
- 2019-09-23 County BoardSolar
Powhatan Solar I, LLC requests a conditional use permit to build a solar energy farm in the Agricultural-10 zoning district.
- 2019-06-04 Planning CommissionSolar
Powhatan County discussed its role in regulating proposed solar energy projects.
- 2018-11-19 Utility BoardSolar
Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors clarified their roles in approving or denying a solar farm application.
- County BoardSolar
Granting a Conditional Use Permit to Virginia Solar, LLC to operate a solar energy farm at 4325 Old Buckingham Road
- Planning CommissionSolar
Virginia Solar LLC (Powhatan Courthouse/Mt. Zion Electoral District) requests a conditional use permit (CUP) to operate a solar energy farm in the A-10, Agricultural District per §83-162(26) of the Zoning Ordinance.
- Planning CommissionSolar
16-01-CUP: Virginia Solar LLC (Powhatan Courthouse/Mt. Zion Electoral District) requests a conditional use permit (CUP) to operate a solar energy farm in the A-10, Agricultural District per §83-162(26) of the Zoning Ordinance.
- OtherSolar
The health and safety impacts of utility-scale solar photovoltaic systems are discussed.
- OtherSolar
Granting a Conditional Use Permit to Virginia Solar LLC to operate a Solar Energy Farm on Tax Parcel #038-28
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State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Local news P3
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
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