I am concerned about HB 1091 and its impact on rural communities and the environment. In places like Greenville, Brunswick County, nearly 17% of the state’s solar infrastructure is already concentrated, raising questions about cumulative land-use impacts. Large-scale solar facilities can displace wildlife such as deer, bear, foxes, and birds, forcing them into new areas and potentially increasing vehicle collisions. There are also concerns about water quality, as runoff from thousands of acres of panels could affect local wells and drinking water over time. Finally, I question whether classifying solar production as part of an agricultural operation is appropriate. While farmers should have opportunities to diversify, solar is an industrial activity and may require different regulatory treatment than traditional crops or livestock. I urge the committee to carefully consider the long-term environmental, wildlife, and community impacts before moving forward with this bill. Thank you.

I am concerned about HB 1091 and its impact on rural communities and the environment. In places like Greenville, Brunswick County, nearly 17% of the state’s solar infrastructure is already concentrated, raising questions about cumulative land-use impacts. Large-scale solar facilities can displace wildlife such as deer, bear, foxes, and birds, forcing them into new areas and potentially increasing vehicle collisions. There are also concerns about water quality, as runoff from thousands of acres of panels could affect local wells and drinking water over time. Finally, I question whether classifying solar production as part of an agricultural operation is appropriate. While farmers should have opportunities to diversify, solar is an industrial activity and may require different regulatory treatment than traditional crops or livestock. I urge the committee to carefully consider the long-term environmental, wildlife, and community impacts before moving forward with this bill. Thank you.

Hello Delegates, I am writing in opposition of HB1396. This bill had been brought fourth by landowners groups that falsely claim to represent and maximize property owners rights when in fact they are property owners that want to end the tradition of hound hunting. This is proven by these groups comments on their own social media pages. These groups have made claim that only 8 states allow the use of hounds to hunt, a stat quoted by delegates in the subcommittee, that is simply a false statement, currently only 9 states allow hounds to be used to hunt deer but nearly every state allows the utilization of dogs to hunt other game species many not requiring an special license to do so. I ask the delegates to understand that the vast majority of the members of the hound hunting organizations are land owners as well in addition to all of the landowners who lease or allow hound hunting on their land support the tradition of hound hunting. This bill creates a permit allowing the DWR create and issue permits on a may issue criteria with visual permit requirements for hounds and vehicles. If Additional funding is needed to police game laws the bill should be amended to a license just like an archery or muzzleloading license that is a shall issue. Additionally the cost for said license should be reduced and required for all that utilize or partcipate in any type of hunting that utilizes a dog. Dogs are already required to have owner contact info on their collar and their vehicles have state issued license plates therefore marking is not necessary. Lastly the only ones who should be exempt from license purchase are those that utilize dogs to hunt on their own land. This simplifies the requirements and makes it fair for all parties. Basically if big game is harvested and checked in and the use of dogs is checked as a part of big game license registering process they should be required to have a dog hunting license or be exempt as a land owner. I hope that you find this as a reasonable comprise. Additionally there needs to be some sort of recourse for false complaints or accusations. If this bill continues as is it will create more tensions between those who utilize dogs to hunt and those who don't like the use of hunting dogs. False complaints will continue to increase cause additional hunter harassment and tension between hunters and those that oppose it. Thank you for your time. V/R, B. C. Bunch

I oppose HB 1091. Solar facilities are industrial energy projects, not agriculture. This bill strips communities of their right to have a say in large-scale development in their own neighborhoods. We have a responsibility to determine how our land is used. “Farmland lost is farmland lost forever “ Please oppose this bill. Thank you.

This bill is a trick, to allow industrial solar to circumvent local and county Agricultural ordinances, and therefore local decisions. This allows minimal actual farming or tree harvesting, which can be as little as one acre, in return for a typical massive 2500 acre solar installation. this bill does not require any environmental assessments done in advance of the impact of solar. We know that 80% of solar installations in Virginia are out of environmental compliance, that land contamination, erosion, waterway quality destruction, fires, land heavy metal contaminations, noise, wildlife extinctions and displacements, are all rampant in existing solar installations in Virginia. This bill is an assault on democracy, and should not come out of committee or be signed into law.

To who ever may read this message My name is jacob austin and me and my family live thur out Amherst Nelson and big island. We have hunted coon hounds for 4 generations starting with my great grand father (van staton)to my grandmother (Betty austin) to my father (Ernest donold austin j)r to me and my brother (Matthew austin) this is a tradition that we have cherished since we were lil kids see are dad go out every night after working long hours him telling us stories about papa van with was amazed by the places he want things he got to see walking thru the nights to get to his dogs. By time we was old enough he let us go with him he grab his 4 year old male walker hounds aka storm man he was one hell of a hound but that but im getting of track but as I got older my life changed drastically mom and father got divorced and I just went into a deep state of depression thinking it was my fault and I was just ready to just leave this earth to go to a better place but no I just hooked my trailer up to my four-wheeler and loaded my dog box and hound aka Rosco p coal train a freeing walker hound and being in the woods just help me forget everything that was happening hearing the sound of him freeing in the holler of those mountains is music for a hurting soul and mind walking to the tree being excited to see what's up there is just my way of therapy for me. I like for my kids, grandkids and everyone after me to still be able to carry on this family tradition turn to running hounds or being out in nature to enjoy what the good lord has created for us inside of turning to hard drugs to make that pain go away if someone has read this is really appreciate u taking u time to read it and have a blessed day

Industrial Solar development is not "farming" or "agriculture." It devastates local communities, wildlife, farms and forests. VA's ill-advised solar policies have encouraged Timber Companies to purchase old farms, clear-cut all the timber and then -- instead of traditional practice of re-growing the forests -- the Timber companies instead immediately monetize by leasing to Solar companies, and then rinse and repeat. This is causing an alarming amount of "solar development" on farmlands, and the local communities' only safety valve is local zoming and planning, where long-term community planning happens. These bills taking away that local control are transparent "Big Solar" power plays of the worst kind, but it's our beautiful rural Virginia, local farmers, wildlife and land that pays the price. Please do not upset local land use planning - it's vital for Virginia's long-term health.

I strongly oppose HB1091. I cannot understand why you would even want to attach it to anything associated with farming, it is not. I understand some people who would think this will provide great income. The problem is what is the great problems that can lie ahead. As we are slowing learning, solar is not the great cure for increasing electric, it is actually one of the least. Most land under these solar areas are lease for 40 years. Just stop and think what has happen in the last 40 years. Better technology will do away with these panels and then what happens to the land. Farmers could be liable for damage to adjacent landowners, water runoff, soil erosion, pond and lake being filled with sediments, etc. Law suits can be filed to the solar companines but the land still belongs to the landowner which puts them possibly in the lawsuits also. This bill strips local goverment and it's citizens to voice their concerns and opinions. AGAIN PLEASE VOTE NO.

NO. Do not place the bill in Right to Farm Act! Please vote no.

Solar is the main driver I can think of that’s creating new farm/ranch operations right now. The landowner benefits, the locality benefits, the broader community benefits & third parties like us benefit. All of the economic buzz ripples through the region. Revenue helps keep property taxes from increasing, volunteer emergency service personnel can transition to paid positions, the local food system gets a boost. It remains to be seen what the models may look like in 5-30 years. What needs will the agricultural sector have? Defining #agrivoltaics legally (in statute) is a blessing and a curse. Everyone wants an official idea of “what counts.” In what ways does a definition limit creativity & adaptation? Anyone that talks to me knows how much history and tradition means to me. We live in a state with over 400 years of recorded history. I drive by faded signs promoting industries that are no longer viable at scale as they once were - tobacco, textiles, furniture. Row cropping & timber have tight margins. In the decades around the year 2000, Virginia had 6000-8000 tobacco operations. Now, there are 173. Many of those farms are centered around the Southside region. The last, die hard, producers are the ones we have here which creates a strong combination of nostalgia and desperation to continue. There’s a long story about how it got to this point & the industry was tasked by the General Assembly (Legislature) to fund replacement economic development & had some transitional buyouts. Anyway, our area is still poor & depressed. I bring up tobacco to illustrate something. Pittsylvania County receipts (gross profits - so, not including input costs) is around $18 million annually. The County has approved 18K acres of solar. If these acres generated $1,000 in economic activity that would equate to $18 million. Land is rented, solar equipment purchased & installed, there are jobs maintaining the facilities - equipment & vegetation, the sites are producing power which is sold. Are we a Tobacco County or a Solar County? Whatever your opinion on all of that, we have found a good enterprise to add to the mix. A sheep enterprise like ours can produce enough lambs per acre to reach $1,000 of a commmodity, which by the way, makes us a “real farm.” Virginia has around 80,000 sheep & growing. The average flock size is still only 30 animals but if you straight divide the numbers, there are over 2,600 sheep operations in the Commonwealth. They don’t generate as much revenue as things stand but the potential is there with solar. Are we a Tobacco State or a Sheep State? Those of us grazing solar have been catapulted to becoming among the largest sheep outfits in Virginia. The state is staring down 300,000 acres of solar & surrounds that will need to be managed. There could be quite a few sizable sheep ranches.

I am a 75 year plus generational farmer in Augusta County. We operate a poultry, cattle, & crop farming operation on 700 plus acre farm, which our parents purchased in the late 50's & early 60's. We operated a dairy farm for 43 years, and due to overhead expenses and not enough income being generated, we stopped dairying in 1995. In 1995, we transitioned to a beef cattle, poultry, and crop farming operation, all of which required us to make a substantial monetary investment. Unfortunately, once again, our overhead expenses, low commodity prices along with tariffs, droughts, etc. are making it very difficult in sustaining our farming operations. We attempted to transition some of our farmland to solar projects, as did several other landowners and farmers in Augusta County for an additional stream of income to maintain our farming operations; however, the county really deemed we had no property rights as landowners, and became very anti-solar. Due to the stance and newly introduced restrictive ordinances from our local government, along with denials on several utility scale projects, the company we were working with decided to resend any option agreements with us due to the resistance from Augusta County. The county we live in have no issues in the approval of more subdivisions on farmland! The do no care that 4,000 farmers in the past 5 years have gone out of business, and there continues to be more everyday; or, that over half million acres of farmland has been transitioned to urban development or commercial & industrial development! The localities do not care about the Clean Air Energy Act, nor are they concerned with our ever increasing energy needs. As a farmer and landowner, I have no property rights which affects our decisions in trying to generate an extra stream of income to sustain our farming operations for future generations. I ask for support in the passage of Del. Laufter's Bill HB 1091, as means of helping farmers in the state of Virginia, as we are not given that support thru our local government.

HB1091 is potentially a good bill but maybe able to be thwarted to easily and needs to be tightened up. if a large utility aggregates a 500 to 1000 acre property to install a solar photovoltaic installation, and decides to run a few sheep in there so as to call it agri-photovoltaics Itwill potentially be able to do an end run around local or state requirements for siting and push it onto the local community without their ability have a say in the planned project. or it could get a conservation easement status so as to get reduced tax status. please be careful what you are signing up for.

Solar cannot hide behind the Right to Farm to escape public review. Solar is not automatically something farmers raise. This legislation takes away local input into what truly is an industrial activity that can affect neighbors. When neighbors are fully aware of what is happening on land next to theirs and their concerns are addressed reasonably, on-going relationships are much more likely to be civil. When things are sprung on people who cannot do anything at all to protect themselves and their property, things do not go well. There's too much being hidden from people these days. Please oppose this legislation.

Please support and approve HB 1091. Thank you

I OPPOSE HB1091 SOLAR FACILITIES ARE INDUSTRIAL ENERGY PROJECTS, NOT AGRICULTURE . THIS BILL STRIPS COMMUNITIES OF THEIR RIGHT TO HAVE A SAY IN LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

Greetings members of this committee. Please vote “NO” on house bill 1091. (1)This bill as written, appears to eliminate local zoning, authority, and community input AND misuses the “right to farm” law. (2)Anything at all that affects a locality must be determined by that locality, not by state politicians who know nothing about a locality that is outside h/her own locality; localities determine what is best for their citizens not state politicians . (3)Industrial solar should not in any way be considered agricultural. For these three reasons plus others you have read here from citizens throughout the state, you must OPPOSE this legislation, and any other such legislation that removes or otherwise inhibits localities from determining what is best for their citizens. Thank you.

I oppose HB 1091. Solar facilities are industrial energy projects, not agriculture. This bill strips communities of their right to have a say in large-scale development in their neighborhoods. Thank you, Kenda Hanuman Buckingham, VA

I recommend that Virginia HB1091 be approved to explicitly include farmers’ rights to pursue alternative and diversified farming practices within permitted use. Allowing flexibility for innovation—such as alternative crops, regenerative methods, or complementary on-farm activities—supports farm viability, strengthens rural economies, and helps preserve working farmland. Clear inclusion of these rights ensures that farmers can adapt to changing markets and environmental conditions while remaining compliant with local regulations.

Support for HB 1091. I would urge anyone who wants to preserve farming in areas that are experiencing pressure from development to support this bill. This bill would provide a way for smaller farms to diversify their income streams and remain solvent without having to sell land for development.

I am a 75 plus year old generational farmer in Augusta County. We operate a poultry, cattle, & crop farming operation on 700 plus acres of farmland, that our parents purchased back in the late 50's & early 60's. We operated a dairy farm for over 43 years, but our overhead expenses and the income we were receiving on the sale of our milk, forced us to stop dairying. In 1995, we transitioned to a poultry, cattle, and crop farming operation, all of which required a large financial investment. Unfortunately, once again our overhead expenses, low commodity prices and tariffs, droughts, etc. are making it very difficult in sustaining our farming operations. Over 4,000 farmers have quit farming in the past 5 years in the state of Virginia, and over half million acres of farmland has been transitioned to urban development and to commercial and industrial development. Over the past five years, we have desperately tried to transition some of our farmland to solar development as a means of having an extra stream of income to sustain our farms. However, we, along with some other farmers trying to do the same, have been met with overwhelming opposition and restrictive ordinances! The localities say they are trying to preserve farmland, but continue to approve housing developments which are being built on farmland! As a farmer and a large landowner, we have no property rights, as our localities have taken that away from us in finding extra streams of income to sustain our farming operations. More farms will continue to be forced out of business, without having a right to seek other means of income in trying to sustain their farming operations. As a property owner and land owner, I ask for your support in the passage of Bill HB 1091.

Members of the Virginia General Assembly, There is a common misconception regarding the previously used term utility-scale “solar farm.” When large solar facilities were first developed across Virginia back in the mid 2010s, solar developers commonly used the term “solar farm” because it was more appealing to the public. The term gave people the misconception that it is a beautiful facility intended to be placed out in the countryside and is a compliment the agriculture industry. The reality in 2026 is the complete opposite. The term that is now commonly used is utility scale “solar facility.” Solar facilities are industrial in nature and have nothing in common with agriculture. Solar facilities actually compete with the same resources and replace agricultural production. It would be TOTALLY inappropriate to allow solar facilities by right under the right to farm act, simply because they have nothing in common with farming and agriculture at all. I simply ask that you keep the right to farm act the way it has been traditionally worded and not include solar facilities into the language. Solar facilities have just as much in common with agriculture as do housing developments, shopping centers, data centers, highways, or natural gas power plants if electrical production is the priority of this proposal. All of the above items directly replace agricultural production and could dramatically change the landscape across Virginia if left uncontrolled. Local governments serve a vital role in deciding how their locality looks, and is governed. Local governments should always retain the final decision to approve or deny projects that are proposed within their borders.

I oppose Bill HB1091. To even equate a solar complex to a agricultural operation is a insult to every farmer in Virginia. To pass a bill such as this and take away the rights of the local government and its citizens to be able to voice their opinion is wrong.

Writing on behalf of farmers in Dinwiddie County. Please vote NO on HB 1091, Right to Farm. Farmers do not want solar panels included. Thank you.

I oppose HB 1091 -It eliminates local zoning authority and community input, misusing the Right to Farm law to shield utility-scale solar from review and accountability.

I oppose this legislation as its grossly misguided. We cannot eliminate community oversight from solar development

Vote No! Solar is an INDUSTRIAL site and should not be treated as an agricultural crop. Localities need to retain the right to site Industrial entities in the right location.

I oppose HB 1091 because it misuses the Right to Farm law to exempt solar—an industrial energy use, not agriculture—from meaningful review and accountability. The bill strips local governments and residents of zoning authority and community input, undermining the ability to ensure solar development is compatible with neighborhood character, property values, and legitimate farming operations.

As a sheep farmer, I oppose HB 1091. Right to Farm laws were created to protect farmers producing food, not to give utility companies exemptions from local oversight for industrial solar operations.

I strongly oppose HB 1091, which seeks to classify solar panel electricity production, when done alongside traditional farming, as part of an "agricultural operation" under Virginia's Right to Farm law. This would limit localities' ability to regulate or restrict such projects, effectively overriding community input. Large-scale solar plants are industrial energy developments, not agriculture. They involve massive arrays of panels, heavy infrastructure, and long-term land commitments that fundamentally alter rural landscapes, and cover prime farmland with heightened industrial risks. This bill undermines local control by stripping communities of any say in large developments that directly impact their neighborhoods, property values, and quality of life. Moreover, utility-scale solar increases electricity costs for consumers in several ways: - It requires significant overbuilding to compensate for intermittency (solar produces only when the sun shines). - Achieving reliable, firm capacity demands enormous, expensive battery storage systems, which may be co-located with the solar plant(s) itself to store excess energy. This introduces serious additional risks to nearby communities . - These factors drive up system-level costs far beyond the headline price of panels, while compromising grid reliability during low-sun periods or extreme weather. Virginia should prioritize responsible land use, preserve productive farmland, protect local decision-making, and pursue energy solutions that deliver affordable, reliable power without burdening ratepayers or rural communities. HB 1091 is misguided policy that favors industrial-scale projects over sensible, community-driven development.

I oppose HB1091. Its language is overly broad and vague, creating a loophole that could allow token grazing or minimal plantings to qualify industrial solar facilities for powerful Right-to-Farm nuisance protections. This would shield large-scale energy projects from accountability and limit neighboring farmers and landowners the ability to challenge real impacts like noise, glare, stormwater runoff, traffic, and long-term land-use conflicts. It could also weaken local oversight and make it harder to enforce safety standards, setbacks, and decommissioning requirements. Solar power generation is energy infrastructure, not farming, and Virginia should not blur that line in any way. Please vote NO to HB1091.

I oppose HB 1091. It eliminates local zoning authority and community input, misusing the Right to Farm law to shield utility-scale solar from review and accountability. Installation of industrial solar IS NOT farming or "agricultural operations." Solar panel installation is causing heartbreaking destruction of our rural landscape and the environment, while also devaluing adjacent residential and farm properties. Please make it stop!

I urge you to support HB1091. This bill respects the property rights of farmers and may well offer the means to preserve many farms, How many farmers have to work a second job just to make ends meet? What would you rather see on the land -- solar panels or subdivisions, or warehouse distribution centers, or maybe a data center? Farmers can combine solar panels and pasture land successfully. Some crops do better with shade. Moreover, we know we have to have more electricity fast and solar is the quickest way to generate more power.

- "I oppose HB 1091. It eliminates local zoning authority and community input, misusing the Right to Farm law to shield utility-scale solar from review and accountability."

I oppose HB 1091. Solar facilities are industrial energy projects, not agriculture. This bill strips communities of their right to have a say in large-scale development in their neighborhoods.

Seven generations for the future

I strongly advise you to oppose SB1396. Thank you.

I oppose HB 1091 because it fundamentally misapplies Right to Farm protections. Right to Farm laws were established to shield legitimate agricultural operations from nuisance complaints, not to exempt industrial energy infrastructure from local land use review. Utility-scale solar facilities are commercial power generation projects that should be subject to the same zoning and permitting processes as other industrial development. This bill removes the ability of local governments to ensure these projects are appropriately sited and compatible with existing land use, community character, and property values. Local zoning authority exists for good reason, and HB 1091 circumvents that essential oversight without justification.

- "I oppose HB 1091. It eliminates local zoning authority and community input, misusing the Right to Farm law to shield utility-scale solar from review and accountability." - "I oppose HB 1091. Solar facilities are industrial energy projects, not agriculture. This bill strips communities of their right to have a say in large-scale development in their neighborhoods." - "I oppose HB 1091. Right to Farm laws were created to protect farmers producing food, not to give utility companies exemptions from local oversight for industrial solar operations." - "I oppose HB 1091. This bill removes essential protections that allow localities to ensure solar development is compatible with community character, property values, and genuine agricultural operations."

I oppose HB 1091.

We oppose bills Sb471 Sb770 Hb1396 It is a virgina heritage I have been hunting with my dogs ever since I could walk, and I want my nephews and my kids to enjoy the thangs that brought me so much joy and gave me something to look forward to every year these dogs are not just hunting dogs they are our pets and a part of my family please oppose these bills so my kids and grandkids can enjoy what I have and so many others have for generations.

I oppose HB 1091. This bill removes essential protections that allow localities to ensure solar development is compatible with community character, property values, and genuine agricultural operations.

Opposition to HB1091: House Bill 1091 would grant solar installations—including utility-scale projects—the same legal protections as genuine agricultural operations, as long as there's some farming or timber activity on the property. The bill provides no threshold for how much actual farming is required, and the consequences extend far beyond zoning. Virginia's Right to Farm law exists to protect genuine farmers from nuisance complaints—not to grant solar developers and utility companies immunity from local oversight, community input, and lawsuits. If HB1091 passes, a solar developer could maintain token agricultural activity and claim full farm protections while covering hundreds of acres with solar panels—and with projects planned statewide, this adds up to vast acreage. Farms and timberlands across Virginia could be converted to solar installations under this loophole. These operations would then gain sweeping protections under Virginia Code 3.2-301 and 3.2-302 that would eliminate special use permits, declare local zoning ordinances "null and void," remove community input from siting decisions, and strip away the ability of localities and citizens to challenge these projects in court over legitimate concerns. HB1091 isn't about helping farmers—it's about allowing industrial solar facilities with acres of panels, inverters, and equipment to BYPASS the same planning process and public review required of every other industrial development.

I oppose bill HB1396. This bill is just another way to “tax” the people. The permitting system that is in this bill will cause some people to stop hunting which will result in even lower license sales in the state.

I vehemently oppose HB 1091. Industrial solar development has no relationship to farming or agriculture nor should it be considered on agricultural or forest land. Any such development should be restricted to land that has no sustainable value for forest growth or crop production.

Solar farms should be allowed on a property owner /farmers land if they choose to do so It’s is their land and Solar farming may prevent them from loosing the land

As a resident and concerned citizen of rural Greensville County, I am strongly opposed to this bill and the presumption that it is reasonable to classify utility solar components in a manner that would allow them to be placed anywhere crops can be grown or timber can be raised. This is quite a stretch! Solar facilities are best placed on brownfields, rooftops, and unproductive industrial sites. The beautiful and fertile agricultural and timber land in our rural areas cannot be replaced, and must be protected. Please vote NO on HB1091.

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I oppose this legislation. Why should these products go to our water sources or underground?

Vote No and leave this bill on the table. Solar is an INDUSTRIAL site. Localities need the right to site each unique project. They are rife with DEQ violations. You are unable to farm the land again after an INDUSTRIAL site has been instilled upon it.

Invasives should be pulled or killed by herbicide and not be permitted to be sold in nurseries

I respectfully would like to express my opposition of large scale solar panel installation within our agriculture community. Our area’s strength lies in its farmland , rural character and long-standing agriculture. Energy development should not come at the expense of the long-term health and beauty of our land.

I respectfully request that this bill be defeated. Nothing about solar resembles agriculture other than that, due to its size, it is generally placed on agricultural land. Solar is an Industrial use and should stay classified as such. This is a clear attempt to make Solar more palatable to the masses and circumvent local zoning laws. Thanks for your consideration of this request.

I oppose this bill. The right to farm should NOT include the commercial/industrial production of solar energy other than for exclusive onsite use. This is a blatant attempt to circumvent local zoning power.

Please oppose this Bill. I don’t want our beautiful woodlands & farms destroyed by solar panels. Put them on top of buildings & shopping malls that have closed!

This bill harms a rural community that is deeply vulnerable and rooted in agriculture as well as the protection of nature. Many young and growing families will be greatly impacted in a devastating way and we are extremely opposed to this bill. Thank you.

Please support HB402. It will allow small cottage foods producers to grow reach a larger consumer base, without the need to upgrade to a commercial kitchen, which is exceedingly expensive and lots of red tape for permitting. This is also a way to make it less restrictive for anyone wanting to get started with home produced uninspected foods which will support independence and community food resilience and keep revenue cycling within the local economy.

Solar IS NOT Ag. Please do NOT approve of this! Makes no sense. The studies have already shown how detrimental these projects are to the environment and community. Please STOP.

I am writing in opposition of HB1091, Right to Farm; SOLAR PANELS. Solar panels and solar energy facilities do not constitute legitimate agricultural operations under the Virginia Right to Farm Act and it needs to remain that way under the act. Solar panels do not produce agricultural goods,they do not rely on agricultural processes, and do not face the types of nuisance pressures the Act was designed to address. Extending RTFA protections to solar facilities would exceed legislative intent, erode zoning authority, and undermine the Act’s core purpose of protecting bona fide farming. The Virginia Right to Farm Act was enacted to protect legitimate agricultural operations from nuisance claims and local restrictions arising from suburban encroachment. Solar itself is an encroachment on RURAL VIRGINIA that citizens like myself adamantly oppose. Solar energy facilities—do not meet the statutory purpose or functional characteristics of agriculture under Virginia law and therefore should not receive Right to Farm protections. Lastly, rural localities want to protect our farmland and forestry from the nuisance and overall damage solar farms create. A policy that opens up any protections for industrial solar as agriculture should be OPPOSED.

I strongly support this bill, which is absolutely necessary. Solar panels fit well on agricultural land and the decision should be left to the landowner, not the arbitrary whims of local governments. There is an incredible amount of misinformation on solar and irrational thinking, which some local governments have absorbed and used to create ludicrous ordinances. Just one example is 1,000 ft setback from residential parcel lines for solar, whereas a rocky quarry has only 100 ft setbacks. Asphalt batch plants and other loud, potentially air polluting industries also have much lower requirements. Farmers should be able to rent out land for solar as a way of smoothing out fluctuations from weather, tariffs, and all the other random things that affect agricultural commodity prices. Solar projects are temporary (although 20-30 years is certainly a long time) and almost all localities have strict decommissioning requirements that put the land back the way it was before the project (if the landowner so wishes.) Solar energy production is a way to preserve farmland that would otherwise be sold for permanent development. Please tune out the extremely vocal anti-solar minority who do not have their facts straight and approve HB1091.

Solar Farms are NOT Agriculture or Farming. Not even close! Quite the opposite! Many years of research on these solar yards, they are a hazard to the land and a hazard to the community and its people. Solar has no place in the agriculture communities or farmland

HB 1048 & HB 1049 The Menhaden Needs to be protected NOW from overfishing. This species has already been overfished. The Menhaden are a Keystone species and vital to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Limits on their harvest need to be put in place an enforced. The osprey population is suffering as are other species that depend on a healthy Menhaden population. HB 1091 Solar Energy is the most cost effective clean source of energy we can install right now. I totally understand residents not wanting industrial solar arrays installed too close to where they live, but with that said it is better to install these solar panels on agricultural land that is not being used rather than deforest more land in order to install these solar arrays. HB 129 Why should you be able to kill deer out of season on your property if they are damaging your fruit trees, crops, or personal property..? The land owner should be made to better secure their fruit trees, crops, and personal property rather than be allowed to kill deer because they are unwilling to invest the time to better secure their property from deer. HB1396 Hunting with dogs and allowing them to run over others personal property Needs to be prohibited! Why the leash laws do not pertain to hunters using dogs makes Zero sense. This has Nothing to do with tradition, and that is not an argument that should be used in support of hunting with dogs. If Sportsman hunting with dogs want to continue using dogs to hunt, they should be made to fence in the property before releasing their dogs. HB45 All fees associated with hunting, fishing, and trapping in the commonwealth should be collected. For what reason should people be allowed to do these activities for free, partially discounted, or get reimbursed. The wildlife they are hunting, fishing, and trapping belong to all the residents of Virginia. Therefore they should pay the associated fees when engaging in an activity that removes them from the wild spaces all residents have a right to enjoy.

1396 Keep dog hunting No solar panels 1091 129 let owners kill deer 1169 leave small farms alone 1072 do not regulate sludge applications

We do not need any more solar panels on farm land or any land for that matter . Place them on top of buildings or all of the areas where there are closed businesses Farmers should cotongue to receive crop damage permits to protect their lively hood Dog hunting has been a tradition for hundreds of years. This is something that should continue on forever

Please oppose this bill solar has no place in agriculture. Solar was intended for brown lands. Try cooking your dinner in your electric oven when there is Nothing to cook. Think about it!!!

I strongly oppose hb1091 solar panels are a county by county issue. They affect people where they live and should be governed by the people who live there via their board of supervisors.

Strongly oppose hb1091 solar panels are the most inefficient excuse of “green” energy there is

As lifelong residents of Wakefield, my husband and I value its present form. We're confident that the majority of area residents, if not all, share our opposition to HB1091.

There is no more land being made. Once solar panels are installed the land can no longer produce food or fiber. Please consider your families needs for nourishment and clothing. Farmland must be preserved at all costs. It cannot be replicated or replaced. Our Country needs food. Please consider the health of our citizens and turn down these projects.

I oppose using farm land for poor quality solar panels. It is unnatural, damaging, and inefficient for the environment. We have to pay panels from China and that is a big problem. We should not be dependent upon China for energy.

I AM OPPOSSED TO THIS BILL AS IT IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SUSSEX COUNTY. THE FARMERS NEED THIS LAND TO FARM ON. SOLAR PANELS DESTROY THE LAND AND POSE A RISK TO THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE THERE.

HB1091 should be opposed vehemently.

Strongly oppose this bill as solar and agricultural are two separate items. This bill will lessen the amount of true agricultural land in our county, as the separation of agricultural and solar is a main factor in keeping our county’s farmland and forests protected. This bill will allow solar companies more access to land they should not be allowed to build on.

Oppose this bill please.

I oppose HB 1091, solar panels have NO place here in Virginia. They are ruining good farm and do not benefit us at all.

I oppose this bill. Agriculture and solar are two different industries. If property is zoned agricultural it should not be open for solar also without the locality voting on it. We need our farmers and what they produce. Based on other solar farms in our area they make a mess on the roads with runoff and are poorly maintained. Plus they do not provide the amount of power to justify the destruction of the land.

Oppose bill Hb1091

I am writing to oppose HB1091 & HB1396. Solar farms destroy natural habitats for animals and useful land for generations. Destroying thousands of acres of forest in the name of “Green energy” doesn’t seem very green to me. Dominion Power has admitted solar is not able to sustain the load needed to power Va. I am also against requiring permits for hunting dogs. VA hunters are already required to to purchase permits for hunting. This is just a step to make it more difficult to hunt with dogs a tradition older than this country’s existence. Hound hunters dump thousands of dollars into the local economy and helps local stores and markets by purchasing dog food, fuel, and food for breakfast and lunch. Please oppose these bills.

I oppose HB1091. you cannot eat a solar panel. It is not farming. The load isnt needed locally. I didnt move to the country to live in an industrial part. NO TO INDUSTRIAL SOLAR!!

I am completely OPPOSED to HB1091. This bill implies that installing solar panels is equal to farming. Installing industrial solar IS NOT farming or "agricultural operations." I would even go as far to say this bill is an insult to the many farmers who provide our food, meat, etc. The decision to allow the installation of industrial solar should lie within the county or city. This is a very bad bill and should be scrapped.

As a concerned Virginia agricultural landowner of Page County, I strongly oppose HB1091, which seeks to amend § 3.2-300 of the Code of Virginia by adding solar panel electricity production to the definition of a protected "agricultural operation" under the Right to Farm law with traditional farming. This bill is unacceptable for the following reasons: • Solar panels are industrial infrastructure, NOT agriculture — They generate electricity for profit, not food, livestock, or rural livelihoods. Redefining them as farming is dishonest and erodes the integrity of Virginia's Right to Farm protections, which exist to shield genuine food producers from nuisance claims and overreach. • This is a giveaway to corporate solar developers — Utility-scale projects (even "dual-use" ones) prioritize energy output over agriculture. Panels shade soil, compact earth, disrupt drainage, and often make land unusable for real farming long-term, all while developers pocket massive subsidies and profits. • It threatens Virginia's vanishing farmland — The state has already lost hundreds of thousands of acres to development. Forcing localities to treat solar arrays as protected farms invites sprawl on prime cropland and forests, undermining food security and rural economies. • It strips local control and silences communities — Right to Farm shields would make it harder for counties to enforce reasonable zoning, deny permits, or respond to neighbor complaints about visual blight, property value drops, or environmental impacts—handing power to out-of-state developers over Virginians. • "Concurrent" farming is a loophole, not a safeguard — So-called agrivoltaics often means minimal grazing or crops under raised panels, with energy production dominating. This token agriculture does not justify granting full Right to Farm protections—it's a pretext to bypass opposition. • True solutions exist elsewhere — Install solar on rooftops, brownfields, parking lots, warehouses, schools, and disturbed land first. Do not sacrifice irreplaceable farmland when better options abound. HB1091 is a dangerous overreach that prioritizes renewable mandates over preserving Virginia's agricultural heritage, local rights, and rural character. I ask you to reject this bill outright—vote NO, kill it in committee, and protect real farming from industrial encroachment. Please enter this letter into the official record for HB1091 and represent the voices of rural Virginians who want to protect precious farmland and not have their communities turned into solar factories.

Please OPPOSE HB1091 solar panels are only ruining actual farmland and raw land by clearing timber to make a minimum amount of power on a maximum amount of acreage vs building an actual power station on a much smaller acreage footprint. I do not want to see Virginia turned into one big solar panel to support data center growth

Please lay this bill on the table. Solar is an industrial development not a crop that you plant and then harvest to feed Americans. It comes with all kinds of DEQ violations. The land can never be farmed again. It is just one step away from a hazardous nightmare that we will leave for generations to come.

Strongly OPPOSE! Solar shouldn’t even be in the same category as farm land! There is already enough solar in Southern Virginia taking up all the actual farm land! Please OPPOSE!

This is insane! As an actual farmer this type of legislation absolutely blows my mind. Are we in the matrix now!? I strongly OPPOSE this bill!

In regards to HB1091. This is so absolutely wrong! Please vote NO! Here is the big picture. If more and more agricultural farm land is used for solar, that is less grain, produce etc. being contributed to food supplies for humans and animals. Animals are needed for a food source. Meat, milk, butter, eggs etc. Please consider all of this and for future generations. If solar is so important, then put it in the cities. On top of buildings, covering parking lots, down the median of interstates in cities. Leave the rural agricultural and forestry alone! Thank you

Please Vote NO on this bill. Solar panels do not belong on farmland destroying the earth and environment. Additionally, they are useless.

please vote NO on this terrible bill.solar is wrong for agricultural land,and properly belongs on rooftops,brownfields and over parking areas. every acre removed from actual agricultural use is land that is lost to farming forever. thank you. ken

Please vote NO on HB1091. I oppose putting solar panels on farms.

Comments Document

I OPPOSE this inane bill! To think solar panels should be classified and taxed as an agricultural product such as crop commodities is pure ignorance. First of all, solar is a scam, and has already irreparably destroyed thousands of acres of Virginia farm and forest lands. And this unregulated and poorly performing "industry" is failing at energy production!! (see table attached of current facilities) Additionally, solar panels are polluting our soils and groundwater with toxic heavy metals such as Cadmium and forever chemical PFAS that leach from them. Solar panels are NOT an agricultural product and this bill should receive a Nay vote.

I oppose this bill. Solar panel are industrial plants and not agriculture. They present a great hazard to both the farm land and the ground water ( that’s well water for those of us that live far from public water sources). The estimated life span of solar projects is 35 years. After that time the land will be sterile and unfit for any agricultural use for quite a long time if ever. It is a gross mistake to call solar panels agriculture. They are an industrial project with grave long term consequences. It makes no more sense to call solar projects agriculture than to call an airport a bird park because “large birds land and stay there.

I oppose this bill. Solar Panels are not an agricultural product. Solar panels do not belong in the same category as Soybeans, cotton, peanuts, hay etc. They are industrial equipment not agricultural. I can provide you with studies that prove solar panels leak chemicals into the land and should not be located near food sources and our well water. In fact, Frito Lay corporation will not buy potatoes that are grown on land previous occupied by solar panels due to glass shards and chemicals leaching from the panels. I believe if you research, the US Department of Energy has acknowledged that all solar panels leach chemicals over time. Solar panels belong on buildings and over parking lots not on farmland. They also do not belong on timberland. destroying forest is not green.

Respectfully, I do not support this bill as it is proven that solar panel farms are inefficient. Considering the number of days we actually have sunlight, the costs would greatly exceed their projected savings. Instead of destroying beautiful farmland, why not provide and incentive for businesses to install solar panels on their rooftops to reduce their consumption from the power grid.