Virginia lays groundwork to combine more solar with farming

Virginia has a new law that officially defines "agrivoltaics" — the practice of using the same land for both farming and solar panels, like grazing sheep beneath solar arrays or growing crops such as kale and eggplant between the rows. Virginia is only the fourth state to pass this kind of law. The move comes as the state faces rising electricity demand from data centers and rapid loss of farmland, and as solar has become a target of local pushback, with nearly two-thirds of Virginia counties restricting or banning large-scale solar projects.

The law works alongside a separate measure that stops counties from imposing blanket bans on solar, while still letting local governments reject specific projects. Supporters say the new definition gives counties a way to tell apart well-designed dual-use projects from ones that simply pave over farmland with panels. Virginia's governor also plans to set up a committee this year to study statewide incentives, tax credits, or grant programs to encourage more agrivoltaics projects going forward.

For homeowners, this is mostly background policy rather than something with a direct rebate or program to apply for right now. But it signals that solar development in Virginia is shifting toward projects paired with farming or grazing, which could shape how solar fields look in your county and how local officials evaluate new proposals. If you live near farmland or are watching solar development in your area, this law is part of why the debate over where panels go — and how they coexist with agriculture — is likely to keep evolving.