Commission moves solar-ordinance revisions to public hearing to comply with state law

The Rockbridge County Planning Commission voted unanimously June 10 to instruct staff to take revised solar-ordinance language to public hearing on July 8, 2026, to ensure the county's land-development regulations conform with Virginia House Bill 711.

Chris (staff) told the commission that HB 711 standardizes several requirements across the Commonwealth and requires local ordinances to align definitions, thresholds and certain siting rules. He noted the ordinance updates would clarify applicability to ground-mounted solar facilities of 1 megawatt or more and incorporate state-prescribed land-disturbance and buffer provisions.

During discussion, staff cited specific changes that reduce some local flexibility. Chris summarized the buffer requirement as a vegetative visual-screening width required to be "between 25 and 50 ft wide," and he recited examples of setback ranges now identified in the state language, including guidance about 150–200 ft from occupied community buildings and dwellings in some provisions and 50–100 ft from roads in others. He said the county previously could reduce buffers in certain low-visibility locations, but the state language leaves less room for that local reduction.

Commissioners discussed other provisions in the bill, including reporting requirements to the State Corporation Commission when a locality rejects a project and the potential impacts on decommissioning and project design. Staff said they are continuing to incorporate land-disturbance permit language and setbacks into the draft and expect a complete draft before the July meeting. Commissioner Adam Sandridge moved and David Whitmore seconded the motion to set the public hearing; the motion passed unanimously.

The July public hearing will let the public comment on the draft changes and allow the commission to decide whether to forward a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.