Prince George supervisors limit future large-scale solar to M3 industrial zone

The Prince George County Board of Supervisors voted June 10 to revise the county's solar-energy siting policy, effectively barring new large-scale solar facilities outside the M3 (heavy industrial) zoning district.

The change updates the 2020 siting policy and comprehensive plan language after staff told the board roughly 4,123 acres of solar facilities already had approvals or were in development in non-M3 zones. Staff said the previous policy left roughly 480 additional acres before the county's earlier acreage guideline would be reached; the amendment removes that acreage cap by limiting future approvals to M3-zoned land.

Planner Tim Graves told the board the update would allow any future project to go forward only if the property is rezoned to M3 and receives a special exception, giving the county stronger conditions it can impose at the time of rezoning and special-exception review. "That setup would allow any new facility, if there were to be one, to request a rezoning and they could offer proffers," Graves said. He summarized the county's five previously approved facilities and three that had special exceptions but not complete permits.

Public commenters were split. Rick Tetherton, a resident of Disputanna, told the board he opposed further solar siting and urged the county to curb growth, calling the industry subsidized and risky: "This is a scam. If you cannot support a business . . . without subsidies from the United States government . . . you are not a business," he said. Dawn Acoyne, a resident of Taylor Drive, thanked the board for the change and said she hoped it would remove citizen uncertainty about pending projects.

Board members discussed how the change affects projects that already have special exceptions. Staff said projects that have not started construction and that are later deemed to be "abandoned" under the terms of their special exception could lose their approvals and would only be able to proceed under the new M3 requirement. Projects that have satisfied start conditions or have active site plans (Powell Creek was cited as having site-plan approval) would retain their approvals.

Supervisor T. Pugh moved to approve the amendment; Mr. Cox seconded. The motion carried on a roll-call vote: Mr. Pugh, Mr. Cox, Mrs. Wymack, Mr. Webb and Chairman Brown all voted yes.

The county will now incorporate the revised language into the comprehensive plan and implement the change in its zoning review process. Staff said the amendment does not retroactively remove approvals that are active and in compliance with previously set conditions.