Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia SB 588
Solar facilities; Department of Energy to develop criteria to determine appropriateness of sites.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- David W. Marsden (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED
Department of Energy; developing criteria to determine the appropriateness of sites for solar facilities. Requires the Department of Energy (the Department) to develop a set of criteria to be used by reviewers to (i) assess the appropriateness of potential siting areas and (ii) assign a siting appropriateness score from one to 100 for each area and to establish a scoring committee to review applications for proposed solar facilities. Beginning January 1, 2027, the bill requires every completed land use application for a proposed solar facility to be forwarded by the host locality to the Department for evaluation and scoring. The bill provides that the locality shall continue to have final authority for approval or disapproval of a proposed solar facility.
Text versions
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 8:07 AM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2026 Senate | Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
Actions
- Feb 17, 2026 · Senate
Left in Finance and Appropriations - Feb 5, 2026 · Senate
Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N 1-A) - Feb 5, 2026 · Senate
Senate committee offered - Feb 2, 2026 · Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB588) - Jan 14, 2026 · Senate
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources - Jan 14, 2026 · Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105042D