Virginia Is A Leader In Solar Developments, But Local Obstacles Remain
Virginia ranks fifth in the nation in new solar capacity developments, with 236 MW of capacity added in the first quarter of 2021.
The significant increase in solar capacity comes after landmark legislation passed in 2020 that mandates Virginia’s electric grid be carbon-free by 2045.
Despite progress being made in developing solar energy, information regarding the implementation of renewable energy legislation is not always easily accessible.
Virginia is a leader nationally in new solar developments, according to a report released last month by the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie. The state ranks fifth in the country in new solar capacity, with a total of 236 MW of solar capacity developed in just the first three months of 2021. The only states with more solar capacity additions during the same time period were Indiana, Florida, California, and Texas; Texas installed a total of 1,525 MW of new solar capacity.
This year has been monumental for solar, both in Virginia and nationally. The SEIA/Wood Mackenzie report noted that 51% of the United States’ new electric capacity additions in the first quarter of this year are solar developments. And in Virginia, the 236 new MW installed during the first quarter of the year are more than the state added in either 2018 or 2019 altogether. Solar now accounts for 1.64% of the electricity generated in Virginia.
Virginia's ranking as a top state for new solar capacity additions is the result of landmark legislation passed in recent years that positions the state to be a clean energy leader. The 2020 passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act set the state on track to have a carbon-free electric grid by 2045. The law mandates the development of 16,100 MW of land-based renewables, such as solar. Other laws — such as one permitting community solar in the state, allowing multiple customers to tap into the power being generated by local solar panels, and another that expanded access to solar power purchase agreements, allowing landowners to provide space for developers to build and operate solar facilities — have also been instrumental in increasing the availability of solar power in Virginia.
Despite the enormous progress that has been made, it's still common to see proposed solar developments meet defeat at the local level. Oftentimes, local governments turn down solar proposals for specious reasons, citing concerns over diminishing farmland or simply misunderstanding the laws in place.
Examples from this year illustrate this trend. In Frederick County this past March, a developer was denied a conditional use permit needed to begin building an 80 acre solar plant on a property with over 300 acres. The proposed development would have generated 20 MW of solar energy. The county’s Board of Supervisors rejected the proposal 6-1 and one supervisor even went on record saying he voted against the proposal in order to preserve agricultural land. However, concerns that solar energy contributes to the demise of farmland are unfounded. In fact, the development of solar energy can actually serve to preserve farmland. Studies show that the co-location of solar panels and crops can lead to higher agricultural yields. Farms that install solar panels are able to remain farms, rather than be sold off to developers that may seek to build housing or shopping centers. And the addition of solar panels on farms can also help farmers bring in extra revenue.
At the other end of the state, two proposed solar developments were denied by the Board of Supervisors this month in Mecklenburg County. One of the proposed facilities would have been located on land that could still be used for agriculture, and the other would have been set back from a road and hidden with newly planted trees. Both facilities would have each brought in roughly $7,000 in revenue for the county each month once in operation while creating new jobs for the community. Despite this, one of the proposed development’s attorneys said that the Board of Supervisors misunderstood the county’s plan for new solar developments, even though the proposed developments were perfectly in line with the county’s plan. This is illustrative of the fact that there continues to be confusion over renewable energy policy throughout Virginia, and that local governments aren’t always as up to speed with state policy as they could be.
As Virginia continues to strive toward a clean economy, it’s vital that information regarding solar and wind developments is well-known and easily accessible. Otherwise, developments that could be beneficial to communities and consumers alike will continue to face obstacles during the approval process. With access to reliable information on renewable energy policy and how to implement it, Virginia can continue to lead the country toward a cleaner future.