Prince William County, VA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

Prince William County-specific SE/SUP conditions control — county-set setbacks vary from 50 ft (rural) to 300+ ft (residential adjacent). Verify current Prince William County zoning ordinance for adopted local setback standards.

SE / SUP — de facto unavailable (suburban/data center buildout)

No utility-scale solar market — Digital Gateway data center corridor and suburban development have consumed all large parcels; D-majority BOS philosophically supportive of solar but no viable sites; data center/utility-scale solar land use conflict explicitly documented in 2023–2024 comp plan amendments

D-majority BOS is supportive of solar; Digital Gateway data center controversy has consumed land use bandwidth; suburban growth limits viable solar sites

Improving

Local permit: Special Use Permit (SUP) or Conditional Use Permit (CUP) in A-1 Agricultural zoning; issued by Board of Supervisors (BOS) or Planning Commission per county ordinance. Counties without zoning (Buchanan, Russell, Lee, Scott, etc.) proceed via revenue-sharing siting agreements. SCC CPCN: Va. Code §56-580 (as amended by HB 1558/SB 762, eff. Jul 2021) — SCC Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity required for generating facilities ≥5 MW; waivable for utility-owned projects under SCC-approved IRP. DEQ Permit by Rule (PBR): Required for all solar facilities ≥1 MW per Va. Code §10.1-1197.6; includes VSMP/VPDES erosion & stormwater permits. Mar 2022 DEQ rule: solar panels counted as impervious surface same as parking lots. Revenue sharing: Va. Code §15.2-2288.7 — localities may require up to $1,400/MW-year for utility-scale solar on agricultural or forestal land; increases 10% in year 1 then every 5 years thereafter. VDACS notice: VA Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services must be notified for projects converting prime agricultural or forestal land. PENDING LEGISLATION (as of Mar 11, 2026): HB 711 (Herring) / SB 347 (VanValkenburg) both cleared both chambers and await Gov. Spanberger's signature (session ends Mar 14, 2026). If signed: (1) all localities must allow solar ≥1 MW via special exception — outright bans illegal; (2) statewide setback floor: 150–200 ft non-participating dwellings, 50–100 ft from state roads, 100–250 ft from streams/wetlands, 50–75 ft from property lines; (3) localities retain denial authority but must report reasons to SCC public database; (4) companion HB 891/SB 443: BESS permitted accessory use on approved solar SE sites. Spanberger is pro-solar; signature expected. Monitor: lis.virginia.gov.

Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA, 2020): Dominion must reach 100% carbon-free by 2045; Appalachian Power by 2050; major driver of utility-scale solar procurement. Net metering: available under VCEA for systems up to 1 MW (by-right); large-scale behind-the-meter negotiated. SCC SolarShare: Dominion program offering renewable energy credits. Virtual net metering (Virginia): programs vary by utility. DEQ review: required for solar facilities ≥150 MW (permit by rule) or DEQ standalone review. Utility: Dominion Energy Virginia serves 2/3 of VA; Appalachian Power (AEP) serves western VA; Northern Virginia Electric Coop (NOVEC) serves NoVA exurbs; various rural cooperatives and municipal utilities.

Limited utility-scale solar — rapidly urbanizing; Prince William Digital Gateway data center zone competing for land Multiple small commercial approvals | 5–20 MW | 2018–2023

No confirmed Board of Supervisors CUP/SUP denial on record for Prince William County as of Mar 2026. Virginia: 250 solar projects approved (~10 GW) statewide through 2025. 2025 trend: 2,022 MW approved vs 711 MW rejected first 9 months (Weldon Cooper Center). Verify current Prince William County project history at coopercenter.org or greenehurlocker.com. Source: Cardinal News Nov 30 2025; Weldon Cooper Center UVA