Botetourt County, VA
Board of Supervisors ·
“B. SOLAR TEXT AMENDMENTS Nicole Pendleton presented the solar energy facilities text amendments, which the Board had authorized for Planning Commission review at its May 26th meeting.”
Virginia local moratoria on data centers, battery storage, solar and wind
Every local moratorium we know of in Virginia, by county, township, town, city and village: 6 records, of which 4 are in force or recently adopted and 1 are pending or proposed. Upcoming votes are listed below.
Data last changed (02:41 UTC) · page regenerated daily, last on
4
in force or recently adopted
0
upcoming hearings and votes (120 days)
6
moratoria on record
6
governments with a record
Map
- Moratorium in force or adopted
- Vote pending or proposed
- Ended
- None known
Counties link to their county pages; shaded townships, cities and villages link to their records. County-wide moratoria shade the whole county. Boundaries: Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Upcoming votes and hearings
No upcoming hearing or vote detected in the Virginia governments we monitor. Coverage is partial; that does not mean none are scheduled.
All known local moratoria in Virginia
6 records
| Date | Government | County | Uses | Status | Details and source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loudoun County | — | Data centers | In force Active |
Board of Supervisors action taken September 16, 2026 enacting a temporary pause on Board consideration of certain legislative (Special Exception)... (Moratorium Nation) | |
| City of Virginia Beach | Virginia Beach city | Data centers | In force Active |
Resolution adopted by Virginia Beach City Council on August 18, 2026, pausing the issuance of permits related to any new data center for 12 months... (Moratorium Nation) | |
| City of Chesapeake | Chesapeake city | Data centers | In force Active |
Resolution 26-R-042, adopted by Chesapeake City Council 9-0 on July 21, 2026 (Moratorium Nation) | |
| Town of Front Royal | Warren County | Data centers | In force Active |
Resolution Establishing a Temporary Ninety (90) Day Moratorium on the Acceptance of Data Center Land Use Applications, adopted 6-0 by Front Royal... (Moratorium Nation) | |
| Fluvanna County | — | Data centers | Ended Replaced by permanent rules |
Board motion approving a moratorium on new data center applications; related resolution of intention and ZTA 25:10 (Moratorium Nation) | |
| — | City of Suffolk | Suffolk city | Data centers | Pending Pending (not yet enacted) |
UDO Text Amendment OTA2026-008, recommended by the Planning Commission on 2026-09-15 (Moratorium Nation) |
Moratorium records marked “Moratorium Nation” come from the Moratorium Nation inventory by Michael J. Bommarito, licensed CC BY 4.0; status follows that inventory, and we mark a record ended once its recorded end date has passed. Records marked “Siting Radar” are our own detections in public meeting documents: the status is the latest step we saw, with a link to the source. Not legal advice.
Download our Virginia detections (CSV, our summaries only) · About the open data
Moratoria by month
- Moratorium Nation (enacted)
- Siting Radar detections not in that inventory (adopted)
Show as a table
| Month | Moratorium Nation | Siting Radar | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Aug 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Who decides siting in Virginia
General information about state law as checked on Sep 29, 2026, with sources. Not legal advice; thresholds, exemptions and pending legislation change.
- Counties, cities and towns decide siting through rezonings and special exceptions or special use permits; public utility facilities also need planning-commission review for “substantial accord” with the comprehensive plan (Va. Code 15.2-2232), and solar in a district that allows it by right is deemed in accord.[1]
- Electric generating and energy storage facilities need approval from the State Corporation Commission (Va. Code 56-580(D)), unless exempt as a small renewable project with a DEQ permit by rule.[2]
- DEQ’s permit by rule covers solar or wind projects up to 150 MW and requires the locality’s certification that the project complies with all applicable land use ordinances (Va. Code 10.1-1197.6).[3]
- Solar (over 5 MW) and storage applicants must notify the host locality and may negotiate a siting agreement covering mitigation, payments or broadband; an approved agreement deems the project in accord with the comprehensive plan, and failing to agree may be a factor but not the sole reason for denial (Va. Code 15.2-2316.6 to .9).[4][5]
- Under a 2026 amendment, battery storage on a parcel with an approved solar special exception, sized up to 100% of the solar nameplate capacity, is a permitted accessory use needing no further local land-use approval (Va. Code 15.2-2316.10).[6]
- A 2026 law (Acts ch. 568, approved Apr 13, 2026) requires, before any rezoning, special exception or special use permit for a new facility needing 100 MW or more, a site assessment of its sound on homes and schools within 500 ft, and it does not supersede local zoning authority.[7]
- On Sep 18, 2026 the Governor signed Executive Order 22 and announced a data-center framework that includes ending by-right approval for data centers over 25 MW; the Governor will ask the 2027 General Assembly to write the framework into law.[8]
- On Mar 31, 2026 the Court of Appeals of Virginia held the Prince William Digital Gateway rezonings void for defective public-hearing notice (Va. Code 15.2-2204); the last developer dropped its appeal on Jul 2, 2026.[9][10]
- Code of Virginia 15.2-2232 (text retrieved Sep 29, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- Code of Virginia 56-580 (history through 2026) (text retrieved Sep 29, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- Code of Virginia 10.1-1197.6 (text retrieved Sep 29, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- Code of Virginia, Title 15.2, Chapter 22, Article 7.3 (siting of solar projects and energy storage projects) (text retrieved Sep 29, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- Code of Virginia 15.2-2316.9 (amended 2026, cc. 1011, 1076) (text retrieved Sep 29, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- Code of Virginia 15.2-2316.10 (2026, cc. 1011, 1076) (text retrieved Sep 29, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- Virginia Acts of Assembly, 2026 Session, Chapter 568 (SB 94), adding Va. Code 15.2-2209.4 (approved Apr 13, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- Office of the Governor of Virginia, Data Center Accountability Framework and Executive Order 22 (published Sep 18, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- Virginia Lawyers Weekly, “Prince William County data center rezoning is void ab initio” (Bd. of Supervisors v. Oak Valley HOA, Ct. App. Va.) (published Apr 22, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
- WTOP, “Digital Gateway data center project dies after final developer withdraws appeal” (published Jul 2, 2026; checked Sep 29, 2026)
Recent siting-rule activity (last 90 days)
Nelson County, VA
Board of Supervisors ·
“Staff Recommendation: Adopt proposed Resolution R2025-79 to approve the siting agreements with Piney River VA BESS 1, LLC and Colleen VA BESS 1, LLC.”
Frequently asked questions
How many local moratoria are there in Virginia?
As of Sep 30, 2026 we list 6 local moratoria in Virginia: 6 from the Moratorium Nation inventory (CC BY 4.0) and 0 more found in meeting documents we monitor. 4 are in force or recently adopted, 1 are pending or proposed and 1 have ended. Coverage is partial, so the real number is likely higher.
Which Virginia communities have a data center moratorium?
As of Sep 30, 2026, 4 Virginia governments have a data center moratorium in force or recently adopted in our records, including Loudoun County, City of Virginia Beach, City of Chesapeake and Town of Front Royal. Most are temporary moratoria, not permanent bans; check the linked records for dates.
Are any moratorium or siting votes coming up in Virginia?
None detected as of Sep 30, 2026 in the Virginia governments we monitor. That does not mean none are scheduled: many governments post agendas only days before a meeting, and coverage is partial.
Who approves large solar, wind and battery projects in Virginia?
Counties, cities and towns decide siting through rezonings and special exceptions or special use permits; public utility facilities also need planning-commission review for “substantial accord” with the comprehensive plan (Va. Code 15.2-2232), and solar in a district that allows it by right is deemed in accord. Which state and local rules apply to a given project depends on its type and size; the cited notes on this page summarise Virginia's siting authority as of Sep 29, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page is information compiled automatically from public records and the Moratorium Nation inventory. It may be incomplete or out of date. Read the linked sources and confirm with the local government and your counsel.