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Page County adopts resolution opposing state bills that would preempt local solar siting rules
Summary
The board approved a resolution opposing two state bills that county officials say would undercut local ordinances regulating utility-scale solar and battery storage siting.
The Page County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a resolution opposing House Bill 2126 and Senate Bill 1190, legislation county officials said would remove local control over the siting of utility-scale solar, wind and battery storage facilities.
Miss Mueller introduced the resolution and told the board the measures under consideration at the state level would “render our solar ordinance null and void” and allow large projects to locate without the limits Page County adopted after two years of drafting local rules. She said the change would expand state authority over local zoning and weaken the county’s ability to manage siting, fees and related impacts.
Board members discussed the bills’ potential impacts, including the possibility that developers could build large projects and then transfer ownership to utilities, which would place them beyond the county’s limited taxing and regulatory reach. Miss Mueller noted that the Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) is also opposing the bills, and several supervisors said they would monitor additional legislation rolling out in the General Assembly.
On a motion and second, the board approved the resolution in a recorded roll-call vote.
