There is widespread disagreement about whether HB 711 sets forth the only standards that a locality can set for solar development — and related to that, whether that means that bans, pauses, acreage caps, radius restrictions, density limitations and other impediments that counties have erected to hobble the ability of solar projects in certain counties to even get to a special use permit hearing are now disallowed.
Jared Burden
Jared Burden is a Harrisonburg-based partner with the Virginia-based law firm GreeneHurlocker who works extensively in Virginia counties assisting developers in permitting utility scale and community solar facilities. He can be contacted at jburden@greenehurlocker.com.
Posted inOpinion
Solar lawyer on HB 711 and solar developers: It’s still crucial to not lose
The contrast between high hopes of developers supporting bills like HB 711 and the actual realities of the bill’s language highlights an important fact: you want to win at the county level, because your special use permit hearing and vote is both your first chance and, almost certainly, your last chance to get the project approved.
