29.8

Risk Grade

Excellent

Naval base city; dense urban; flood risk; no utility-scale land

Assessment Snapshot

Population

238,005

State Rank

Compliance

30%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

No solar-specific setbacks; governed by general municipal zoning

Zoning Mechanism

Norfolk: Site plan / CUP through city planning commission

Acreage Caps

N/A — independent city; limited developable land

Density Caps

No cap specified

Spacing Rules

No spacing requirements codified

Size Restrictions

No size restrictions codified

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Naval base city; dense urban; flood risk; no utility-scale land

Basis for Assessment

Independent City council composition; local press; regional solar development patterns

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

Norfolk City Council — verify at norfolk.gov — Majority Democratic (based on 2024 election results)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

PJM / Dominion zone

Utilities

Dominion Energy, None / Single utility territory

State Permitting Process

Local zoning approval via city council/planning commission; DEQ PBR for >5 MW; SCC PBR for 5–150 MW utility-scale under VCEA framework

State Incentives

Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA); Dominion/AEP net metering (residential/commercial); state solar equipment tax exemption; locality solar revenue share option (SB 1258)

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

No confirmed utility-scale solar projects on record — Norfolk, Virginia

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

No confirmed denials on record for Norfolk Independent City.

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

Norfolk County, VA — Solar Development Risk Assessment