By grazing sheep among solar arrays, farmers keep weeds trimmed to avoid shading the panels and create two sources of income, maximizing their land’s productivity. Photo: Encore Renewable Energy
Right now, the Virginia General Assembly is considering critical legislation to stabilize rising electricity rates for all Virginians, while protecting property rights and allowing landowners a new source of income.
With increasing demand and aging infrastructure driving prices higher, solar is the fastest and least expensive source of new electricity to deploy. Both of these bills deserve support in the legislative session that started Jan. 14.
Sign up here for updates as these bills move through the Virginia legislature:
Solar Siting Reform
Solar income helps Virginia landowners stay on their land and keep farms viable. But 64 percent of all Virginia’s counties are either closed for business to large-scale solar or have very restrictive and costly ordinances.
Outright bans prevent good projects from being considered. Solar siting reform legislation, sponsored this year by Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg and House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, would create clear, reasonable statewide standards for local solar ordinances.
These standards would allow localities to judge each project on its merits — offering Virginia communities more tax revenue and residents the cheapest source of power available — all while preserving local control.
This would enable the construction of well-designed projects on predictable timelines, especially important as federal tax credits expire. Standardizing criteria would maintain local authority to approve or deny individual projects.
Virginia needs every electron it can get to meet demand and to stabilize prices — projects ought to at least be considered on their individual merits, so that Virginians have the option of pursuing solar on their land.
Energy Storage Expansion
Energy storage technology captures cheap solar power and keeps it available when we need it most, helping keep the power grid stable and reliable as well as holding down our electric bills.
Energy storage legislation, led by Sen. Lamont Bagby and Del. Rip Sullivan, will increase energy storage targets to help utilities manage peak demand times, especially as electricity usage continues to grow rapidly.
Why These Bills Matter
Utility-scale solar is the cheapest, fastest source of new electricity, even without incentives. Energy storage can capture it to keep the power grid running and hold down our bills.
The cost of electric power from new solar projects has fallen below every other source of electricity, which makes solar an essential part of the answer to rising rates. Data: Lazard
Virginia’s energy future needs smart solar. Allowing solar projects to be considered on their merits means lower energy costs, local revenue for better services, and cleaner air for all Virginians.
Solar panels offer Virginia landowners a “cover crop” that generates much-needed income while preserving topsoil for the next generation. But while it's allowed in some Virginia counties, in 64% of them, solar farms are banned entirely or restricted by costly ordinances.
Statewide solar standards would protect property rights while preserving each locality's final say. Virginia landowners (who must consent, as the industry cannot use eminent domain) would have the first say on whether they want to lease some of their land for solar panels, and their local government would still have the final say on a project-by-project basis.
Stay Informed
Make sure solar + energy storage is part of Virginia’s answer to affordable electric rates.
Get updates on this important legislation by entering your email address below.