Virginia’s new law blocks counties from banning solar
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, last week enacted a new law that voids community-wide prohibitions on solar fields and establishes new siting guidelines for the facilities. Starting July 1, when the law takes effect, local governments can still deny permits to solar developers but must submit their rationale for doing so to state regulators.
“Localities still are in the driver’s seat here. They can still deny every project from now until the end of time if they want,” said Evan Vaughan, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition, a nonprofit that represents over 50 large-scale solar, storage, and wind developers and manufacturers.
But, he added, given rising prices and pressures on farmers from tariffs and fertilizer shortages, “there may be more interest in rural communities to see solar projects and to at least hear them out about the benefits that they can provide.”
“Localities still are in the driver’s seat here. They can still deny every project from now until the end of time if they want,” said Evan Vaughan, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition, a nonprofit that represents over 50 large-scale solar, storage, and wind developers and manufacturers.
But, he added, given rising prices and pressures on farmers from tariffs and fertilizer shortages, “there may be more interest in rural communities to see solar projects and to at least hear them out about the benefits that they can provide.”