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Solar permitting — Rockingham County, Virginia

FIPS 51165

35 indexed meetings (27 energy-related), 12 news items, 3 known opposition groups.

D
Rockingham County, VA
Risk score 64/100 · Full scorecard →
Compliance: ExtremeSolar ordinance on fileTrajectory: WorseningSaturation: Very High

Extremely Stringent ordinance; worsening trajectory. Permitting: SUP; 250-ft max / 150-ft min setbacks; hard 150-acre cap; extreme compliance stringency. Track record: denial on record — MCG Solar — SUP-23-1734; specifi…

Key driver: Extremely Stringent ordinance; worsening trajectory. HB 711/SB 347: statewide setback floor and SE requirement apply; any above-floor restrictions reviewable. Shenandoah Valley agricultural identity means board will use SE discretion aggressively; denials still likely but ban structure removed.

Permitting process

Local permitting pathway

SUP

Setbacks & buffers

150 ft from property lines for transformers/substation equipment. 250 ft minimum setback from existing occupied dwellings. Public meeting required before SUP application submission.

Spacing requirements

None codified

Size restrictions

≤50 acres per site under A-1, A-2, and most zoning districts (SUP required for each site)

Penalties & bonding

Total penalty: +5 (Denial +5)

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) / Shenandoah Valley zone

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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting

STANDALONE BESS SUP DENIED — Rockingham County BOS unanimously refused to grant Special Use Permit to Swift Current Energy (Buckeye/IFM Investors) for 'Rocktown Power' standalone BESS

Local BESS ordinances & bylaws

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

Community opposition P1 3 tracked

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

17 energy-related35 total in calendar10 solar · 4 bess · 1 transmission · 1 data center · 1 wind

Halo color = sentiment of the relevant agenda excerpt: green positive, yellow neutral, red negative.

  • 2026-03-03 Planning Commission
    Solar

    The Planning Commission voted to approve a solar energy facility in Rockingham County.

  • 2026-02-25 County Board
    BESS

    The Planning Commission approved a special-use permit application for a 150 MW solar farm.

  • 2026-02-11 County Board
    Solar

    The Rockingham County Planning Commission voted to approve a special-use permit application for a large solar energy facility.

  • 2026-02-03 Planning Commission
    BESS

    Approved ordinance amendment to bring Rockingham County Code into compliance with State Code requirements for energy storage system projects

  • 2026-01-06 Planning Commission
    Solar

    The Rockingham County Planning Commission approved the SolAmerica solar farm project.

  • Other
    Solar

    The Rockingham County Planning Commission voted to approve a special-use permit application for a 150 MW solar farm.

  • Other
    Transmission

    The Virginia Dominion Power company plans to replace transmission lines in Rockingham County.

  • Other
    Solar

    The Board of Supervisors approved a resolution supporting the solar project and authorizing the Clerk of Circuit Court to execute the necessary documents

  • Other
    Data Center

    The Lake Shenandoah Watershed Land Purchase and Improvements item was discussed.

  • Other
    BESS

    The Planning Commission approved a single-family dwelling development on Huckleberry Road, Elkton…

  • Other
    BESS

    The Board approved a proposal for an energy storage system on Craney Island Road.

  • Other
    Wind

    The Planning Commission voted to deny a special-use permit application for a 150 MW solar farm in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

  • County Board
    Solar

    Repealed and re-enacted ordinance to update solar energy facility regulations

  • County Board
    Solar

    The Co oper reviewed and discussed the Staff- Proposed Ordinance : Ground-Mount ed Large Solar Energy Facility

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14 more energy-related meetings

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State PSC dockets P1

No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.

Local news P3

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9 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; sentiment derived from public meeting transcripts. Last refreshed 2026-08-21. See the county risk scorecard or the full Virginia permitting index.