Virginia is levying a six-figure civil penalty on the developer of a Halifax County solar power plant, citing environmental violations since 2024.
The 75-megawatt Alton Post Office Solar was developed by Houston-based Urban Grid on hundreds of acres near the North Carolina border and began operating in November 2024.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality recently ordered Urban Grid’s limited liability company for the project, Alton Post Office Solar Land LLC, to pay $106,288, alleging multiple failures to implement proper erosion and sediment controls.
The DEQ identified problems, including malfunctioning silt fences, large areas of unstabilized dirt that caused stormwater runoff to erode the ground and improperly maintained sediment basins, which are ponds that capture soil washed away by rain.
“Alton knew or should have known of the legal requirements that were violated and had a high degree of control over the events constituting these violations. In addition, there is evidence of unjustified delay in preventing, mitigating, or remedying the violations,” DEQ officials wrote in a March 9 document recommending regulatory enforcement actions.
Urban Grid said in a statement to Cardinal News that it has been working with the DEQ to address the concerns and that “substantial progress” has been made.
A little under one quarter of the $106,288 civil penalty, or about $24,000, is based on the DEQ’s assessment of what’s known as the economic benefit of noncompliance, which is the financial advantage a company gains from not following regulations.
A six-figure civil penalty from the DEQ is uncommon but not unprecedented. For example, last year the department levied civil penalties totaling nearly $121,000 on the solar developer Energix, marking the fourth year in a row it had cited that company.
The DEQ’s responsibilities include enforcing regulations for protecting soil and water during “land-disturbing activities” such as construction.
The agency’s recent order and related reports about Alton Post Office Solar detail a series of events beginning with a warning in May 2024 and continuing with at least six site inspections through March 2026. The DEQ issued a notice of violation in November 2025.
Over time, the inspection reports noted that some problems had been fixed while others had yet to be addressed.
In its statement, Urban Grid said it and the DEQ have developed a remediation plan together. The company also cited the impacts of Tropical Storm Chantal, an early July 2025 storm that brought heavy rain and flooding to Halifax County.
“We will continue working with DEQ through the consent order process to ensure all required actions are completed as the project moves toward construction completion,” the company said.
The DEQ’s order has a list of actions that Urban Grid must take by Aug. 31, including stabilizing various areas, repairing erosion and fixing sediment basins. The order was signed by an Urban Grid representative in May, indicating that the company agrees to the terms.
The DEQ will accept comments on the order through July 15, according to a notice published this month.
