Clarke County limits solar development

Clarke County prioritizes agriculture. That’s what drives most of its policy-making as the county navigates the complexities of renewable energy development while preserving its farmland, explains County Administrator Chris Boies.

In January, the county’s Board of Supervisors approved new regulations for utility-scale solar projects.

Boies says the ordinance has always required solar plants to be situated near electrical substations, leveraging the county’s existing infrastructure. But the new amendments have explicitly named two substations, ensuring solar projects remain contiguous and within a 1-mile radius of those facilities.

“We also still allow and encourage household-sized solar for individual homes and farms,” he says. “We are not against solar; we are against losing agricultural land.”

With approximately 25% of the county under permanent conservation easements, maintaining open spaces and supporting farming communities are priorities reflected in the county’s comprehensive plan.

Board of Supervisors Chairman David Weiss, a local farmer, is a big supporter of the amended regulations. “This is not an anti-solar decision; it’s a land-use issue,” he says. “And we feel that, based on our size and our energy consumption and the small county that we are, we have done our share.”

One 20-megawatt solar project by Hecate Energy has already been approved, with the first of its two phases built out. A second proposal comes from Horus Virginia, which has requested to build a 50-megawatt solar farm.

While the project is pending, it’s been filed under the former regulations, ensuring it’s grandfathered in, says Ty Lawson, a land-use lawyer representing Horus Virginia.

If the project is approved, the county will be maxed out on solar farms, Boies says.

“It requires a fair amount of land, and as you go closer to urban centers, it’s harder to find the hundreds of acres of contiguous land to put the panels on,” Lawson says. “So, generally you do see commercial solar fields in places that are not densely occupied.”

Horus Virginia has proposed a site spanning over 400 acres that ensures minimal visibility from surrounding properties and public roads, Lawson says.

The project is a long-term investment, with solar panels typically having a lifespan of around 30 years, he adds.

At its Feb. 2 meeting, the county’s Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the solar farm development. During its Feb. 20 meeting, the Board of Supervisors authorized a public hearing that was set for March 19.