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Committee carries over bill to classify solar as an agricultural use amid zoning concerns
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Summary
HB 10‑91, which would recognize solar energy as an agricultural use allowing concurrent solar and farming operations, was carried over after supporters said it helps keep farms viable and opponents warned it could preempt local zoning and lacks nuance on scale and oversight.
Delegate Laufer presented HB 10‑91 to allow farmers to generate solar energy concurrently with traditional agricultural practices, arguing the change would help families keep farms in production. The measure would add solar to the code definition of ‘‘Right to Farm,’’ enabling certain solar uses to be treated as agricultural operations.
Supporters — including environmental groups and some farmers — said small‑scale agrivoltaic projects can preserve farmland and produce income without displacing crops. Opponents, including the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia Agribusiness Council and conservation groups, urged caution: they said placing solar under the Right to Farm protections risks preempting local land‑use oversight, lacks limits on project size and could create opportunities for developers to transform agricultural land.
Committee members and stakeholders discussed a concurrent work group and a related definition bill that would further refine agrivoltaic standards. The patron agreed to collaborate on additional study and agreed the concept needs more nuance; the subcommittee voted to carry the bill over for further work rather than advancing it this session.
