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State Senators want solar developers to study potential adverse impacts

Dominion Energy

The growth of solar energy in Virginia is creating concern among many people about solar farms, potentially putting green space in conflict with green energy.

Solar developers who use more than 10 acres of farmland or forest to create a solar farm must conduct an analysis of the potential adverse impact on natural resources. That’s according to a bill now under consideration in the state Senate. It was introduced by Delegate Michael Webert, a Republican from Fauquier County.

"So what has been happening is in certain counties there has been clearcutting. There has been some very irresponsible actors as well," Webert says. "We're trying to protect our natural resources. Any time you cut down a tree, that's another part of our ecosystem that's gone as well as part of the ecosystem that cleans the Chesapeake Bay."

His bill passed the House with bipartisan support, including Delegate Sam Rasoul, a Democrat from Roanoke.

"Our farmers, our landowners and rural advocates who are saying let's be mindful of how we use our greenspace," Rasoul explains. "And we have to ensure that we're thinking about impact to ratepayers, impact to land use; all of these components are critical in building not only good policy but the right kind of coalition where people see investments in green energy as truly in their benefit."

Solar developers are hoping the Senate might create some more clarity about what kind of mitigation is needed. They’re worried the current version is too open-ended, allowing the Department of Environmental Quality to determine what kind of mitigation is needed.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.