Board OKs two-year extension, siting agreement and upfront payment for Axis Solar project

Pittsylvania County supervisors voted 6–1 on June 17 to approve a two-year extension of a special-use permit for the Axis Solar project and to execute a siting agreement that secures an upfront payment and further staged payments if the project proceeds.

The siting agreement approved by the board requires an initial payment to the county of $130,000 upon execution, a further $200,000 on issuance of building permits, a $1,000,000 payment when commercial electricity production begins and additional annual payments that staff estimated at roughly $100,000–$200,000 that escalate over time.

County staff and legal counsel told the board that the state legislature’s recent changes let localities enter siting agreements and, because the project’s original special-use permit would otherwise expire soon, Axis Solar requested a local…