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Middlesex approves extension for 3 MW Hartfield solar project after developer pledges local safety equipment
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Summary
The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors on June 3 approved an extension to Dec. 31, 2027 for a previously granted special-exception permit for a 3-megawatt solar facility in Hartfield, citing permitting delays; developer Greenbacker pledged donations to local emergency services and noted completed interconnection and state stormwater approvals.
The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously June 3 to extend a special-exception approval for a proposed 3-megawatt solar facility in Hartfield, giving the developer until Dec. 31, 2027, to obtain the remaining permits needed to begin construction.
The extension applies to a small-scale solar special exception originally granted Feb. 4, 2020. Greenbacker, which purchased the project from SunTribe in 2022, told the board that interconnection agreements with Dominion and several state permits delayed the project. "We are planning to start construction before the end of 2026," said Bailey, a principal on Greenbacker’s investments team, during the presentation.
The developer said it has obtained three sequential interconnection agreements (completed August 2024), DEQ stormwater plan approval, Middlesex County erosion-control approval and DEQ general construction approval. Remaining approvals include the county building permit and a land-disturbance permit; Greenbacker said a decommissioning financial guarantee required by Virginia law will be posted before construction.
Greenbacker described the site as a roughly 3-megawatt installation on about 43 acres with panels set well inside property lines — "the most of the panels are in the vicinity of 70 to 80 feet from the property lines," planning staff observed — and said the arrays will be about 10 feet high. The company said it will install required chain-link security fencing (6-foot height, 2-inch mesh, barbed wire), no permanent lighting and a supplemental landscaping screen of evergreens and shrubs to reduce visual impacts.
To address local emergency services concerns — an option normally available through larger siting reviews — Greenbacker proposed donating two UTV (utility terrain) vehicles to local EMS and fire departments. Bailey said the two vehicles amount to roughly $60,000 in total. The company also described pollinator plantings and the potential for managed grazing as post-construction site-management measures.
Board members pressed the developer on safety and community benefit. "It would be greatly appreciated if y'all could do a little bit better than that," Supervisor Williams said after Greenbacker described the two UTVs; the supervisor urged the company to consider providing additional support to local rescue resources. Greenbacker representatives said they would continue discussions with emergency services to identify effective contributions.
County planning staff told the board that the local ordinance has been strengthened since the 2020 approval: current rules include stricter setbacks and screening requirements, but staff concluded that because this project is small (under the threshold for a state siting permit) the board’s only additional leverage is through setback and landscaping conditions. The project will not require a state siting permit given its size, staff said.
Supervisor Wayne Jesse made the motion to adopt the resolution extending the special-exception permit, seconded by Supervisor Williams. The roll call vote was: Mister Bill Harris — Yes; Mister Crittendon — Yes; Mister Jesse — Yes; Mister Williams — Yes; Mister Don Harris — Yes. The motion carried.
What the board approved is an extension of the existing special-exception approval. If the extension had been denied, Greenbacker would have had to reapply through the special-exception public process and comply with the currently stricter ordinance. The company told the board it has no plan to increase the project capacity beyond the current design — doing so would require additional interconnection work and approvals.
The board’s action preserves the developer’s approved land-use status while leaving final construction permits and financial assurances to the later pre-construction phase. Planning staff and the developer said they will continue to coordinate conditions, screening and emergency-services contributions before construction.
The board’s approval is limited to the extension request and associated conditions on setbacks, screening and other zoning requirements; it does not itself authorize construction funding, changes to Dominion’s interconnection revenue contract negotiations or any siting agreement beyond what the local zoning ordinance permits.
