Country Matters: Open Space vs. Solar Power

Country MATTERS: Open Space vs. Solar Power

By Kevin Ramundo

Are sprawling farms a concern?

Photo by Hugh Kenny, Piedmont Environmental Council

One recent morning over coffee, I mentioned to my wife that I was going to be writing about solar power. She had a questioning look on her face, Photo by Hugh Kenny, Piedmont Environmental Council. wondering about the connection between solar power and this column’s usual focus on protecting open space.

With two seemingly environmentally friendly topics, surely advocates for one would automatically favor the other. But that’s not the case because the solar power facilities now being built can consume huge amounts of open space.

It’s become a big issue as the nation and the Commonwealth seek more energy from renewable sources. We all know that traditional ways of generating electricity can take a toll on the environment, especially from the standpoint of green-house gasses and global warming.

Utility-scale solar power is a rapidly growing business driven by green energy legislation and technology advances that have lowered the costs of solar panels.

The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), passed in early 2020, declared that 16,100 megawatts (MW) of green energy production, mostly solar, was in the public interest. This would be equivalent to the power generation of approximately 25 coal-fired facilities.

That sounds promising until you consider that hundreds of solar facilities are projected to be built in Virginia on tens of thousands of acres of forests and farmland to meet VCEA’s solar power expectations. Just to our south, Spotsylvania County is building the largest solar generation facility on the East Coast. It also will destroy over 3,500 acres of forests to generate 500 MWs of power.

Fauquier and Loudoun counties are working to determine what to allow since the VCEA leaves it to local jurisdictions to determine where utility-scale facilities should be built. The pressure is really on with solar power developers canvassing farm owners across both counties with generic offers to lease land. Applications for these facilities are rising and many more are expected.

In late 2020, Fauquier passed a zoning ordinance involving a two-step process. If a proposed facility is deemed consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan, then a special permit application can be made.

Recently, a relatively small five-MW facility on 40 acres of active farmland proposed for southern Fauquier was rejected because it did not comply with the county’s comprehensive plans which strives to preserve prime agricultural soils.

Loudoun is still deciding on how to address utility-scale solar, but county supervisors recognize the need to do so. The Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition has strongly endorsed a policy that focuses on location criteria and has recommended that the county adopt interim guidance.

The conservation community is not against utility-scale solar power, but it does not want valuable agricultural and forested land to be lost or viewsheds and wildlife habitats to be ignored.

The Piedmont Environmental Council prefers that these facilities be sited on previously mined land, landfills, brown fields and other former industrial or commercial sites.

Not surprising, those interested in developing utility-scale solar power want to locate these facilities where it’s easiest and most economical, just as housing developers prefer to build homes on large tracts of open, flat land.

It’s critical to encourage local leaders to find the right balance as they develop or implement solar facility zoning ordinances. Open space protection and these facilities can co-exist with thoughtful policies that respect both priorities.

Kevin Ramundo is a former communications executive who is president of Citizens for Fauquier County and serves on the Land Trust of Virginia board.