A BILL to amend and reenact § 10.1-1197.5, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to small renewable energy projects; agrivoltaics definition; advisory panel.
HB899 revises Virginia’s definition of “small renewable energy project” and adds a more detailed statutory definition of “agrivoltaics,” the co-location of agricultural production and solar energy generation on the same land. The bill specifies that agrivoltaics must preserve agricultural productivity, allow continued sale of farm products during the life of the solar array, be part of an existing farm business, and not function as a replacement for the farmer’s primary income. It also updates the definition of small renewable energy projects to include, in the later-effective version, dedicated associated interconnection facilities for qualifying generation and storage projects.
The bill also directs the Virginia Cooperative Extension, working with the Department of Energy, to convene a stakeholder advisory panel. That panel is tasked with developing recommendations for criteria to identify qualifying agrivoltaic projects for grant funding through the Virginia Power Innovation Fund and Program, methods to monitor and preserve project integrity, and possible permitting or incentive approaches to encourage agrivoltaics in Virginia. The panel must also consider project size caps, farmer involvement in project design, best practices and design standards, land-use valuation and monitoring, economics, policy comparisons with other states, and the effect on agricultural net metering, and then report its recommendations by November 1, 2026.
HB899 would amend § 10.1-1197.5 of the Code of Virginia, affecting the statutory framework for renewable energy project definitions and, by extension, eligibility and treatment of certain solar, storage, and hybrid projects. By clarifying agrivoltaics and adding interconnection facilities to the definition of small renewable energy projects in the later-effective version, the bill could influence permitting, grant eligibility, land-use planning, and how these projects are evaluated under state energy and agricultural programs. It also creates a formal advisory process that could shape future policy and administrative guidance for agrivoltaic development.
The available context suggests generally favorable or at least constructive interest in the bill, as reflected by its incorporation by voice vote into another measure. The bill’s structure indicates an effort to balance renewable energy development with agricultural preservation, which may appeal to both farm and clean-energy stakeholders. No recorded committee debate or roll-call vote is provided, so the overall sentiment can only be inferred from the bill’s collaborative, study-oriented approach and its advancement without apparent recorded opposition.
The main points of potential contention are likely to center on how strictly agrivoltaic projects should be defined and regulated, including whether there should be caps on project size, requirements for farmer participation in design, and additional best-practice or permitting standards. Agricultural groups, counties, conservation organizations, solar developers, utilities, and farmland advocates are all named as potential advisory panel participants, suggesting differing interests around land use, project economics, and regulatory burden. Another likely issue is how agrivoltaics should interact with agricultural net metering, land-use valuation, and state or local permitting rules, especially if incentives or eligibility criteria are tightened to distinguish bona fide agrivoltaic projects from conventional solar installations on farmland.