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Solar permitting — Spotsylvania County, Virginia

FIPS 51177

6 indexed meetings (6 energy-related), 16 news items, 3 known opposition groups.

F
Spotsylvania County, VA
Risk score 67/100 · Full scorecard →
Compliance: Very HighSolar ordinance on fileTrajectory: WorseningSaturation: Very High

🟠 HIGH-FRICTION JURISDICTION (Score 60/100, Grade D, deteriorating trajectory) — Highest saturation in state (S=85); 393. Permitting: A-1; 50-ft setback; very high compliance stringency. Track record: Spotsylvania Solar Energy Center (sPower) — 500 MW on 6,300-acre site near Fredericksburg; Board of…

Key driver: Highest saturation in state (S=85); 393.6 MW + 210.9 MW already operational; BOS increasingly hostile to new approvals. HB 711/SB 347: board cannot ban new applications but retains denial authority. Further approvals unlikely given saturation; legislation reduces risk score somewhat but saturation remains the binding constraint.

Permitting process

Local permitting pathway

A-1, Agricultural; M-1, Industrial | SUP/SE

Setbacks & buffers

Spotsylvania County-specific SE/SUP conditions control — county-set setbacks vary from 50 ft (rural) to 300+ ft (residential adjacent). Verify current Spotsylvania County zoning ordinance for adopted local setback standards.

Spacing requirements

Cumulative density and community saturation cited in recent opposition.

Size restrictions

None codified but project scale caps debated.

Penalties & bonding

Total penalty: +5 | Restrictive acreage cap: +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) transmission zone

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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.

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Energy-related meetings & dockets P1

6 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

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12 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 2026-07-12. See the county risk scorecard or the full Virginia permitting index.