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Washington County board unanimously adopts resolution opposing Senate Bill 1190
Summary
The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt a resolution opposing Senate Bill 1190, which would create a Virginia Energy Facility Review Board with authority to review and influence local solar project approvals.
The Washington County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution on Jan. 14 opposing Senate Bill 1190, a proposed state law to establish a Virginia Energy Facility Review Board that would review and recommend on certain solar projects.
Supervisor Oscar Hernandez introduced the resolution, saying the measure would “completely take out of the local government the hands” to use zoning to monitor solar projects and could force counties to defend zoning decisions in circuit court. Hernandez said the proposed board would include standing members from state agencies and two members tied to localities and would review projects of at least 20 megawatts (or 2 megawatts on previously disturbed land) and recommend whether they conformed to statewide model ordinances.
Why it matters: The resolution frames the bill as an intrusion into local zoning authority and cites the county’s long history of local zoning decisions. The board’s statement cites Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. (1926) as precedent recognizing zoning as a valid exercise of local police power; the resolution also notes Washington County’s zoning ordinance adoption in 1971. Supervisor Hernandez and other board members said the proposal would substitute a largely unelected state review panel for locally accountable elected supervisors.
Several supervisors described local review of the county’s recent solar proposal as detailed and community-focused. Supervisor Hernandez said planning and outreach included multiple public hearings and town-hall meetings. Supervisor Randy Pennington and other members said the board’s role is to weigh local economic and land-use priorities and be accountable to voters.
The board’s resolution opposes Senate Bill 1190 and directs staff to send the resolution to state legislators and other officials. The board also authorized Mr. Berry to sign the resolution and transmit it to legislators promptly.
Board members from across rural Southwest Virginia framed the debate as part of a larger tension between urban energy demand and rural land-use control. Supervisor Hernandez said he opposed the bill “with every bone in my body,” and other members expressed concern that the measure would be a precedent for state intervention in additional local zoning matters.
Ending: The board voted 7–0 to adopt the resolution and to send it to the county’s state legislative delegation and other relevant state officials.
