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Happy Friday!
February 7, 2025
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This week our team held the Conservative Energy Caucus in Richmond, visited Botetourt’s State of the County and more on our mission for
Clean Energy the Right Way.
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Botetourt Buckles Up for 2025 Goals
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Botetourt Courthouse
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On February 6, 2025, Botetourt County staff and officials hosted their annual State of the County presentation, celebrating the county’s achievements in 2024 and outlining ambitious goals for 2025. From advancements in business development and parks and recreation to community growth initiatives, the event showcased Botetourt County’s commitment to investing in its residents and enhancing services for both community members and visitors.
Nicole Pendleton, the Community Development Director, highlighted Botetourt’s growing economic investments which included the renewable energy sector as key drivers of progress in 2024. While the county is poised to become home to Virginia’s first onshore wind facility—a milestone that has received significant attention—investments from the solar industry have also played a crucial role, albeit with less fanfare. As one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, solar energy has generated new revenue streams that directly support the county’s long-term goals.
Renewable energy projects, particularly well-planned solar developments, have the potential to contribute hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars to the local economy. These funds can be reinvested in critical areas such as infrastructure improvements, school programs, expanded capacity, and tax relief for residents. By supporting responsible, community-focused projects, counties like Botetourt have the opportunity to make meaningful, lasting progress toward their future objectives.
Learn more about Botetourt County’s 2024 accomplishments and plans for 2025 here.
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More Virginia Landowners Are Turning to Solar
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As we highlighted last week, a commonly overlooked perspective in the energy siting conversation is that of the landowner. This week, our team had the chance to meet with Mr. Saufley in Rockingham County, who has owned and farmed his property for over 50 years. Mr. Saufley has reached a point where he can no longer farm, and the 2024 season was his last year working the land. Saufley has been active in the agriculture community for decades and served as the president of his County Farm Bureau, advancing the interests of farmers in Richmond and in Washington, D.C. and showing his commitment to those invested in local agriculture.
Mr. Saufley has decided to explore other options on his land which will preserve agriculture and prevent subdivision and housing developments. He settled on pursuing solar energy on a third of his property while partnering with another farmer to keep the cow and calf operation up and running on the other two thirds of the property. Virginia loses hundreds of farms per year to urban development or difficult economic situations for the landowner. As concluded by a recent VCU study, at maximum, only 1% of Virginia’s pastureland will be converted into solar. We believe, and so farmers across the Commonwealth, that it is time to appreciate solar energy’s role in preserving farmland for future generations and keeping agriculture online on acreages that would otherwise be developed into permanent housing or retail developments.
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This week, our team went to Botetourt, Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Orange, Rockingham, and Sussex counties.
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District Court, Lunenburg County
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One of the many counties we’ve ventured to in order to see the wide variety of communities in the Commonwealth, and to hear what their members and committee meetings think or know when it comes to solar projects. Though the clouds may be overcast, the sun will shine on!
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Bills to bring more solar to Virginia are moving this year
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Virginia’s clean energy expansion faces mounting challenges, with local opposition hindering utility-scale solar development. Despite surging electricity demand, legislative efforts to address these barriers remain limited, and proposed solutions have been significantly weakened to gain approval. A key bill—Senate Bill 1190—aims to prevent localities from outright banning solar projects or imposing unreasonable restrictions, but it stops short of mandating approvals.
Similarly, HB1883 would raise Dominion’s distributed solar carve-out, increase incentives for solar and battery storage, and expand third-party ownership. A large takeaway is while it is clear that solar and clean energy in general are beneficial additions to the state, it is unclear where certain lines should be drawn, but lines are indeed being drawn.
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NEXT WEEK
We’ll be heading out to Brunswick, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Rockbridge, Scott, Surry, and Washington counties!
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The Coalfield Solar Fund has successfully completed solar energy projects at school districts in Virginia and West Virginia, supporting clean energy adoption and workforce development in historic coal-producing communities. Lee County Schools in Virginia received 451 kW of solar capacity across two locations, covering 70% of its energy needs and saving $2 million over 35 years. Calhoun County Schools in West Virginia installed 600 kW of solar across two campuses, offsetting 36% of its energy usage and generating $2.1 million in savings.
Both projects were financed through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), allowing the schools to install solar with no upfront costs while securing long-term energy savings. Calhoun County Schools became the first in West Virginia to generate solar power under the state’s newly legalized PPA model.
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