As multiple bills make their way through the 2025 General Assembly, local officials are reaffirming their opposition to solar energy projects and efforts to shift decision-making authority away from local governments.
As of Jan. 30, 12 solar-related bills had been introduced, with only three failing. As of this writing, the remaining nine were in various stages of the legislative process, including the House, Senate, subcommittees, and incorporation into other measures, according to the Virginia General Assembly website. The proposed legislation primarily focuses on solar energy facilities, interconnection policies, local decision-making authority, photovoltaic equipment, and the Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program.
Local Authority vs. State Oversight
Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, said he opposes any legislation that removes localities’ ability to determine where solar farms are located.
“Those localities are elected by their people, so if the people don’t like the decisions that their elected officials are making, then they’ll have to replace their elected officials,” Williams said. “Otherwise, the localities are the ones that are going to get to decide where these solar farms go.”
Williams acknowledged concerns among local officials and residents that the state could take over site selection for solar projects.
“I think that the only way that concern is going to be addressed is if we see some people break from the solar pack and vote against this so that their own localities can have those decisions instead of the State Corporation Commission (SCC),” he said.
Williams also suggested that some of the proposed legislation could pass both the House of Delegates and the Senate, even with opposition from many Republicans.
“But I think that ultimately it might come down to the governor having to veto the decision,” he said.
Concerns Over Local Control
Del. Eric Phillips, R-Martinsville, said he is strongly opposed to any bill that would override local ordinances restricting the number or size of solar farms.
“Whether it be a certain amount of acreage or a certain amount of land in that certain district, or something like that. Pittsylvania County and Henry County both have ordinances on the books” that impose such limits, Phillips said.
He vowed to vote and speak against any effort to strip away local land-use control.
“I think that is a terrible law, and I think it sets a terrible precedent to take away local control over land use issues,” he said. “That should be something that is debated between neighbors, constituents, and their member on the board of supervisors. The board of supervisors ultimately is the closest representation that our people have, and they have to account for their votes when they live in that community.”
Turning such decisions over to a three-judge panel in Richmond, which only reviews project plans rather than visiting proposed sites, is a flawed approach, Phillips said.
“They will never have to answer for their vote, and so I think it’s a terrible idea to do that,” he said.
Solar’s Role in Virginia’s Energy Future
Phillips also questioned the long-term viability of solar energy.
“A lot of them have 30-to-50-year leases, and I think by the time those leases are up we won’t even be building solar because we’ll have moved on to fusion energy and nuclear energy and other types of energy,” he said. “The reward versus the usage, because it takes up so much land to produce a fairly insignificant amount of electricity, it’s just a terribly inefficient way to generate electricity.”
He added that officials in his district strongly oppose any attempt to limit local authority, “as they should. Because it may be solar today, but let’s say they don’t like something else tomorrow. Are they going to come in and say, ‘You know what? We don’t like the way you do that there, so we’re going to come in and take over and we’re going to decide it for you’? I think top-down government is the worst government, and it doesn’t represent best the people in those areas,” he said.
Phillips further argued that solar energy does not benefit the rural areas where most solar farms are being built.
“The power’s sent back to power data centers in Northern Virginia and to really help them. It doesn’t help our ratepayers one bit,” he said. “Most of the ones I know send their power to a Microsoft data center or even to other states. It does nothing for our area, and it certainly is not really beautiful to look at.”
If Virginia is to continue expanding solar, Phillips said he believes solar farms should be built in Northern Virginia counties such as Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William.
“All these places where they use our power from these solar farms, but they don’t have any solar farms. That’s what really irritates me because we get the crappy, ugly stuff while they get rich off of using it,” he said.
State Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Moneta, did not respond to requests for comment.
