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Lunenburg County isn’t against solar. However, county supervisors should be the ones deciding if a project gets approved. That was the message the local board sent to both the Assembly and governor’s office. By the time the Assembly session ended over the weekend, all of the solar control bills that had concerned lawmakers here in Lunenburg and across Southside had been defeated.

The final one still going, HB2438, was voted down in the Virginia State Senate just days prior. Lunenburg supervisors also unanimously adopted and sent a resolution to our local Assembly delegation, as well as Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office, strongly suggesting that state officials avoid this type of mandate in the future. 

“By directing rural localities as to the size, makeup and location of solar facilities, the legislation disproportionately impacts Southside Virginia and effectively requires counties to permit unlimited solar development, regardless of the cumulative impact of such facilities throughout the County,” the resolution reads. 

The board went on to “urge the Virginia House of Delegates, Senate and Governor to oppose the passage of any bill that interferes with the rights of a locality to determine the best use of property located therein or that legislates the size, character and placement of solar facilities within the county.”

Why a push for solar control? 

Why the rush? Why is the Assembly trying to force counties to adopt more and more solar projects? Well, there are two reasons. First, there’s the Clean Economy Act. Approved by the General Assembly in 2020, the Clean Economy Act requires just under two-thirds of the state’s electricity to come from solar or wind energy by the end of 2035. And while that’s a long way out just yet, new data is causing concern for some Assembly members, who are afraid Virginia won’t meet that deadline. 

In 2024, for the first time ever, Virginia cities and counties rejected more solar projects than they approved. That’s according to a report from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center. In fact, the amount of new projects approved in 2024 was the lowest amount in six years. It’s raised concerns both from Assembly members and solar companies, who are urging lawmakers to pass the bill. 

“Over half of Virginia’s counties have signaled to solar energy that they are closed for business,” said Evan Vaughan, Executive Director of MAREC Action, in a statement sent out in late January to media. “There are 55 counties and cities that have either banned or made it difficult and costly to develop utility-scale solar projects. Others have no ordinances at all to regulate solar projects. We acknowledge localities that have welcomed solar projects, but the current situation makes the development process inconsistent and unpredictable for localities and developers alike at the very time that Virginia needs more clean energy.” 

To clarify, MAREC Action (Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition) is a coalition of more than 50 energy companies, operating in the Mid-Atlantic region. Vaughan further claimed in the statement that good solar projects that Virginia needs are being blocked through a patchwork of local decisions and policies, while Virginia’s energy demand continues to grow. This trend, Vaughan claimed, threatens Virginia’s ability to meet its expanding energy demand and achieve clean energy goals.