Solar permitting — Shenandoah County, Virginia
28 indexed meetings (11 energy-related), 11 news items, 4 known opposition groups.
2023 ordinance: 50-acre disturbance zone cap, specific buffer/spacing requirements. Permitting: Utility-scale solar permitted via SUP in agricultural zones; 300-ft setback; hard 50-acre cap; very high compliance st…
Key driver: 2023 ordinance: 50-acre disturbance zone cap, specific buffer/spacing requirements. HB 711/SB 347: 50-acre disturbance cap challenges any application >~40 MW; near-prohibitive caps may be challengeable as functional bans under new framework. Setback provisions largely compatible with state floor.
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Utility-scale solar permitted via SUP in agricultural zones (A-1, A-2); Ord. 2023-01 (Apr 25, 2023) established the current framework; SUP requires PC recommendation and BOS approval; projects subject to density cap of 50 acres disturbed zone within any 1-mile radius; BOS has cited cumulative density concerns in denials
Setbacks & buffers
Shenandoah County (Ord. 2023-01, Apr 25 2023): Setbacks required: within 300 ft of identified historical, cultural, and scenic resources; within floodplain, 100-ft stream buffer, critical slopes, ridge areas, and other sensitive mapped features. Max disturbance zone per facility: ≤50 acres per 1-mile radius of each approved project.
Spacing requirements
≤50-acre disturbance zone per 1-mile radius of approved projects — spacing and size are unified in one provision
Size restrictions
≤50 acres maximum disturbance zone per facility per 1-mile radius of any approved project
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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Community opposition P1 4 tracked
Organized opposition signals on record for this county — petitions, community groups, and oppositional coverage — each linked to its primary source.
- r/nova on Reddit: Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern Virginia Data center
- r/Virginia on Reddit: Data Centers Approved, Solar Farms Rejected: What Is Going On In Rural Virginia? ("It’s not a choi Data center
- r/Virginia on Reddit: Id like to hear virginians thoughts on our drought situation and how datacenters contribute. Data center
- r/Virginia on Reddit: VA Senate, House bills prohibiting local solar bans pass their respective chambers Solar
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Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
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Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
28 meetings indexed for this jurisdiction; none flagged as discussing solar, BESS, data centers, wind, or transmission yet. Coverage expands weekly.
State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Local news P3
- 2026-06-16 Strasburg Residents Pack Public Forum Proposed Data Center Development
- 2026-06-15 New Solar Panel Manufacturer Opens Virginia
- 2026-06-09 23 Million Solar Manufacturing Facility Create 150 New Jobs Mount Jackson
- 2026-06-09 Msolar Manufacturing Mount Jackson Virginia
- 2026-06-08 Msolar Build Us23 7 Million Solar Glass Cell Module Factory Virginia
- 2026-06-05 Shenandoah County Solar Panel Company Investing 23 8 Million In New Operation
- 2026-05-13 U S Solar Developer Seeks Connection To Wrong Powerline Delays Project Five Years
- 2026-03-27 Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperatives Latest Trick To Get More Money From Us
- 2026-03-13 Data Center Expansion Looms Over Midterm Elections
- 2026-02-06 Virginia Solar Siting Reform
- 2026-01-17 Federal Court Allows Dominion Energy In Virginia To Continue Offshore Wind Project
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