Solar permitting — Virginia Beach city, Virginia
129 news items.
✅ LOW RISK (Score 33/100, Grade A, stable trajectory) — Largest VA city by pop; coastal/military; some southern agricultural land. Permitting: Virginia Beach: Site plan / CUP through city planning commission; hard N/A — independent city; limited developable land. Track record: no prior utility-scale…
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Virginia Beach: Site plan / CUP through city planning commission
Setbacks & buffers
No solar-specific setbacks; governed by general municipal zoning
Spacing requirements
No spacing requirements codified
Size restrictions
No size restrictions codified
Penalties & bonding
No penalties or adjustments. Standard CUP/SUP process.
State-level permits & approvals
Local zoning approval via city council/planning commission; DEQ PBR for >5 MW; SCC PBR for 5–150 MW utility-scale under VCEA framework HB 711/SB 347 (signed Apr 13 2026, eff. July 1 2026): OUTRIGHT BANS and blanket exclusions on ≥1 MW solar in ag/commercial/industrial/institutional zones PROHIBITED. Localities must accept and review SE/SUP for every ≥1 MW application. Statewide minimum setbacks: 150–200 ft from adjacent houses; 50–100 ft from state roads; 100–250 ft from streams/wetlands. Decommissioning plan required + updated every 5 yrs. Denials reported to SCC public database. Counties CAN still DENY on case-by-case basis. VACo opposed; Virginia Farm Bureau opposed. Passed House 63-33 / Senate 21-17. Source: lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB347
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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); Dominion/AEP net metering (residential/commercial); state solar equipment tax exemption; locality solar revenue share option (SB 1258)
Grid & interconnection
PJM / Dominion zone
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Community opposition P1
No organized opposition on record for this county yet — no petition, group, or oppositional coverage tracked. Absence of opposition is a positive siting signal.
Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
- 🔒Project track record
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- 🔒Governing board
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Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Local news P3
- 2026-06-27 Winegrad Trump War Wind Energy
- 2026-06-26 Dominion Pilots Drones Power Plants
- 2026-06-19 Column Virginia Risks Scuttling Growth If It Tosses Data Center Tax Break
- 2026-06-18 Suffolk To Temporarily Ban Data Centers
- 2026-06-17 Dominion Energy Renews Deal With Virginia Beach To Buy Land For More Offshore Wind
- 2026-06-11 Dominion North Carolina Offshore Wind
- 2026-06-09 Letters For June 9 Data Centers Climate Change Issues Are Intertwined
- 2026-06-04 Self Storage Real Estate Acquisitions And Sales June 2026
- 2026-06-04 63107 Seven States Sue Feds Over 928B Offshore Wind Cancelled Lease Deal
- 2026-06-02 Ct Joins Six Northeastern States In Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Offshore Wind Project In…
- 2026-05-19 Planning Commission Wants Virginia Beach To Prepare For Data Centers
- 2026-05-18 Dominion Energy To Merge With Florida Company Creating A Utility Titan
- 2026-05-18 Nextera Discussing 66B Deal For Dominion Energy Report
- 2026-05-14 Trump Halts Offshore Wind Projects Us Development
- 2026-05-14 As Trump Targets Offshore Wind A Look At The Global Industry By The Numbers
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