Richmond City Solar & Data Accountability

Happy Friday!

September 25, 2026

Another busy week for Energy Right, with our team connecting with communities across Virginia on energy development, emerging technologies, and local priorities
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In Orange County, a packed Board of Supervisors meeting offered residents and local leaders an opportunity to learn more about battery energy storage and ask questions about the technology. Our team also attended a James City County meeting considering a proposed battery storage project and joined residents, officials, and community leaders in Henrico County for the 30th Annual Glen Allen Day.

Richmond Looks at City Solar

Richmond is preparing to take another step toward expanding solar energy on city-owned buildings. City Council is scheduled to vote Monday, September 28, on a proposal that would install solar panels across as many as 39 municipal properties. Under the proposed agreement, a private solar company would finance, install, own and maintain the systems while Richmond purchases the electricity they generate over a 25-year period. City officials estimate the project could save Richmond nearly $20 million over the life of the agreement.

The proposal is an interesting example of how local governments can use existing infrastructure to expand energy generation without having to build an entirely new power plant. Instead of dedicating new land to development, the city would make use of rooftops and other existing municipal facilities. The project would also allow Richmond to take advantage of federal incentives that can help reduce the cost of solar deployment. This proposal also shows strides the city is taking alongside the rest of the state in terms of energy independence and needs.

There is a time-sensitive component to the proposal. City Council is being asked to approve 39 separate leases for rooftop space by September 30 because of federal solar tax credits that are set to expire. According to city officials, the solar developer would receive those credits and pass the savings along to Richmond through lower electricity rates. That timeline is why the Council’s September 28 vote is particularly important to the project’s financial structure.
After reviewing the proposal and addressing questions raised during the process, Richmond’s Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II told City Council this week that he is now “extremely comfortable” with the agreement. The city has continued working through the details as Council considers the proposal ahead of Monday’s vote.

Richmond’s approach is worth watching as communities across Virginia look for practical ways to expand energy generation. Solar does not have to be an either-or conversation. Rooftop systems, distributed solar projects, utility-scale generation and battery storage can all serve different purposes within a larger energy system. Using existing public infrastructure for solar is another example of how communities can pursue additional generation while keeping the focus on local needs, energy costs and responsible development.

FROM THE ROAD

This past Tuesday, the Energy Right team attended a BOS meeting in Orange county where a BESS presentation was given. It was a packed house for tbe meeting with Valley Link being a topic of concern, but it was also a great chance for everyone to learn about energy storage. The Board and citizens were receptive of the presentation a d asked some really great questions for being brand new to this technology.

What We’re Thinking

Spanberger’s “Data Center Accountability Framework”

Last week, Governor Abigail Spanberger unveiled a new “Data Center Accountability Framework” to address the growing impacts of data center development on Virginia’s electric grid, energy costs, environment, and local communities. The framework, announced September 18 in Executive Order 22, includes measures to increase transparency around proposed projects, strengthen local review, require data centers to shoulder a greater share of the transmission and generation costs associated with their electricity demand, and establish new standards for energy efficiency, water use, backup generation, and other impacts. The administration is also proposing legislation for the 2027 General Assembly to make many of these changes permanent.

One of the framework’s most important points is that Virginia’s rapidly growing electricity demand requires both accountability and more energy. It is no secret that data centers are placing unprecedented pressure on the grid, and ensuring that large customers pay an appropriate share of the costs they create is an important part of protecting Virginia ratepayers. At the same time, Virginia cannot address rising demand simply by shifting costs – we need to build more reliable generation and transmission capacity, and we need to do it quickly. The framework specifically calls for accelerating clean energy deployment, prioritizing grid access for facilities that invest in clean energy, and making it easier for data centers to bring their own clean power.

Solar and battery storage should be an important part of that solution. As Virginia works to meet growing demand from data centers, manufacturing, population growth, and economic development, expanding the supply of energy while maintaining reliability and affordability will require a diverse mix of resources. Holding large energy users accountable for the infrastructure and power they require should go hand in hand with making it easier and faster to bring new generation online. But accountability alone will not solve Virginia’s energy challenge. We still have to meet growing demand, and data centers are not the only source of that demand. 

We need to move faster on the resources that can be deployed today, including utility-scale solar and battery storage. Accountability plays an important role, but they are fundamentally not the same as new generation. Virginia needs to do both: make large energy users pay their fair share and build the diverse, reliable energy system needed to power the Commonwealth’s future.

Where We Went

Recent News

A new statewide poll of 1,017 registered Virginia voters found electricity affordability is a major concern, with two-thirds very or extremely concerned about household power costs. The survey also found 79% support requiring utilities to demonstrate efficient use of the existing grid before building new infrastructure, while 71% support making it easier for public schools, colleges, and government facilities to install solar.

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