I’m stepping away from party lines to speak plainly about a bill now moving through the Virginia General Assembly that would significantly change how local governments regulate utility-scale solar, particularly on land zoned for agriculture.
SB 347 would prevent localities from prohibiting utility-scale solar outright and instead require projects to be considered on a case-by-case basis through a standardized review process. Supporters argue this preserves local authority while preventing what they call “blanket bans.” In practice, however, the bill weakens the purpose of agricultural zoning and shifts meaningful decision-making away from the communities most affected.
Agricultural zoning exists to protect land for agriculture. It reflects an understanding that farmland is a finite resource — and once it is degraded, it does not recover on a political timeline or a corporate contract term. As a cattle farmer and former member of the Bedford County Agricultural Economic Advisory Board, I helped write the policy Bedford County currently uses to prohibit industrial solar on land zoned for agriculture. That policy was not written to oppose renewable energy. It was written to preserve productive farmland, protect soil and water, and ensure agriculture remains viable for future generations…