virginia landowners: solar resources

Learn more about leasing your land for solar energy.

Find Helpful Resources and Solar Facts

Renewable Energy Can Power Virginia’s Economy

Renewable energy industries in Virginia employ 6,700 people across the state, and spur more than $10.8 million annually in new local revenue that helps build bridges, fund first responders and other critical infrastructure and amenities. Large-scale solar energy projects are often sited in rural areas that have otherwise seen little job or economic growth, creating new economic opportunities for generations to come.

Clean energy development saves all consumers money by hedging against rising electric bills when utilities diversify their generation portfolio. Wind and solar energy are the cheapest source of new electricity generation, even without incentives. Once built, the “fuel” is free because there is nothing that has to be imported.

The wind and solar industries also support robust manufacturing and supply chain industries.

What is it like being a Landowner?

Deciding to lease your land for a solar project is a big decision for landowners and their families, but it is important that it remains their decision to make. Government should not interfere with a landowner’s property rights and restrict their decision to utilize their land in a way that works best for their family. Here are a few pros and cons to keep in mind when considering a land lease:

Pros:

  • Generates a drought-proof income for farmers and landowners. Given the inconsistencies and uncertainties in the agricultural industry, having a reliable, steady second stream of income is a big deal for families.

  • Preserves Agriculture Land. Solar energy helps preserve and restore farmland, which can be even more productive in the future after years of rest and regeneration. Bees and other pollinators are an essential aspect of crop production and are disappearing from our landscape. By installing native flowers and plants beneath ground mounted solar arrays, they become pollinator-friendly places and support critical habitats. Not only will this benefit future crop yield, but it will also prevent erosion and contribute to biodiversity.

  • Helps keep family farms in the family. As younger generations find work outside the family farm, having a reliable revenue stream can help keep the farm in the family while the next generation pursues their own passions. The additional revenue to the local community can also help build new amenities in rural communities that can attract generations back home to live and raise their own family.

  • Promotes sustainable farming practices. Although farmers are the original conservationists, they are often under a public microscope. Participating in activities that help reduce the carbon footprint of the farm is helpful for the agriculture industry and underscores a farmer’s commitment to the land.

  • Enables the Land to be Used for Other Operations. Solar energy not only provides a new “cash crop” for farmers but enables opportunities for land to have dual income streams by growing crops under solar panels or grazing livestock on the same land. “Agrivoltaics” is the term commonly used for these integrated solar/agriculture practices that serve as a sustainable approach to conserving farmland, supporting farmers and providing a drought-proof revenue stream thanks to solar leases.

  • Helps Keeps Energy Costs Low. Renewable energy like wind and solar are the least-cost energy resources. By leasing land for solar projects, landowners and their neighbors will benefit from the hedge against increased utility bills.

  • Prevents Ag Land from Being Paved Over and Lost Forever. Solar energy projects help preserve and protect farmland by ensuring the land remains agricultural land instead of being paved over permanently for other development. The United States has lost more than 11 million acres of farmland to development over the last 20 years, according to the American Farmland Trust. Data shows that agricultural land is increasingly being developed for other uses, which threatens the integrity of local and regional food systems. The loss of farmland to low-density residential development at the edge of urban and suburban areas is a prime culprit in the permanent loss of farmland.

Cons:

  • Involves a Long-Term Commitment. Many lease agreements are 20-30 years, which can seem daunting. However, leasing land to a solar company does allow the soil to recover from agricultural operations when it sits fallow for the duration of the lease.

  • Selling Your Property: Consult a real estate expert to learn how a long-term lease can impact future sales of the property. The lease is often viewed as a positive by potential buyers because it is ready-made income, but you will want to understand how the transition works.

  • Requires family transition planning. Given the long-term commitment associated with a land lease, considerations need to be made for the future of the farm. If you have existing estate plans, wills, or legacy plans, you’ll need to revise them to reflect leasing land to a solar company. Consult a financial planner or an attorney to provide insight on these issues.

“More companies are prioritizing renewable energy as part of their site selection process. We can argue the politics of green energy all we want; this is the business reality. El Koubi pointed out that Virginia has pursued an “all of the above” approach to energy. However, more companies are demanding renewables, so if we want to be competitive for those employers, then we need to provide them. Up until 2020, renewables weren’t considered a driver in corporate decisions. Last year, it was a factor for two companies that were looking at Virginia. So far this fiscal year, it’s a driver for eight. Those numbers might seem small but these aren’t. The average capital investment for companies listing renewables as a driver: $1.2 billion. The average employment for those companies: 921 jobs. There are trade-offs in everything and there are obviously some here. There’s a boom in solar farms across the Southside but not everyone is happy about farmland and timberland being taken out of agricultural production for what feels to them like the industrialization of the countryside. One county supervisor from Dinwiddie County asked: What about counties that want to preserve farmland – are they going to be left behind in this new economy? There are no easy answers to that. Still, it’s important to remember it’s not just the stereotypical “tree-hugging dirt worshippers” in the environmental movement who are pushing renewables; it’s that most classically conservative of forces, the hidden hand of the marketplace. To the extent that Virginia’s controversial Clean Economy Act has driven the development of more renewables, it’s also helping make the state more marketable to some potential employers. (Some also say it’s driven up the cost of electricity in the short-term; can’t dispute that – just pointing out that it’s helped drive a lot of solar development that wasn’t there previously, so if that’s what some companies are looking for, now we have it.)”
— Cardinal News

Your Property Rights Matter

Whether a solar lease makes sense for your land or not should remain your decision, not the government’s:

  • Farmers and landowners know their land best and are positioned to be the best stewards of their own land.

  • Local governments should not take away landowner rights by restricting what type of crop they grow on their land, including wind and solar.

  • Renewable energy provides an opportunity to bring younger generations back to the family farm, and helps keep it in the family for years to come.

  • As new jobs and amenities are created in rural parts of the state thanks to renewable energy development, younger generations that grew up on family farms may come back home as job opportunities and local amenities increase.

  • Efforts to ban renewable energy development, are in fact banning the rights closest to your home – your land rights.

  • Let’s keep property decisions in the rightful hands of landowners, and make sure we keep Virginia open for economic prosperity.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What regulations are in place to make sure the environment and land remains in good condition?  

    • The law requires the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to develop regulations that use a Permit by Rule (PBR) for permitting small renewable energy projects of 150 megawatts (MW) and less. A permit by rule is a permitting mechanism that means a project is deemed to have a permit if it contains all the components and meets the requirements of the regulation.

    • Laws pertaining to Small Renewable Energy Projects are located in Article 5 of the Code of Virginia.

    • Regulations are provided on the Legislative Information System's Virginia Law Portal website.

  • Do solar farmers emit glares?

    • Solar panels use non-reflective glass designed to absorb light, not reflect it

  • Are solar panels toxic?

    • Panels are safe, silicon-based modules that do not have runoff, and solar cells are laminated into polymers.

  • Do solar projects hinder property values?

    • Examining property value in states across the United States demonstrates that large-scale solar arrays often have no measurable impact on the value of adjacent properties, and in some cases may even have positive effects. An appraisal study spanning from North Carolina to Tennessee shows that properties adjoining solar farms match the value of similar properties that do not adjoin solar farms within one percent. A study conducted across Illinois determined that the value of properties within one mile increased by an average of two percent after the installation of a solar farm.

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