Battery storage on your Buckingham County property

Read the adoption minutes with the posted ordinance

The Board’s June 22, 2026 minutes record adoption of the solar and battery amendments with Alternate B in Section 5.13(G), effective July 1. That option addresses battery additions where an older solar permit did not expressly authorize storage.

The zoning PDF linked by the county still includes both Alternate A and Alternate B and an instruction to remove the unselected text. The minutes select B. Do not treat the two printed alternatives as a choice you or the developer can make.

Ask the Zoning Administrator which adopted provisions and application process apply to the actual proposal. Give the office the solar approval date, approved parcel boundaries and proposed battery specifications. Request a written explanation if the team is relying on a different version of the rules.

Reference: Buckingham County: June 22, 2026 special-meeting adoption minutes · Buckingham County: posted zoning ordinance, Article 12 and legacy-solar alternatives · Buckingham County: Zoning and Planning

Separate a solar addition from a standalone project

Virginia Code §15.2-2316.10 provides a route for qualifying batteries within a parcel covered by an approved solar special exception. It includes a capacity condition and removes further local land-use approval for additions that qualify. Applicable safety, fire and environmental requirements remain.

The county’s selected Alternate B describes an Administrative Compliance Permit for qualifying additions to older solar permits. It calls for documentation of the location and capacity, emergency planning, related permits and removal assurance. Have the project team explain how its submission fits the state law and the adopted county text.

An empty field near a solar project is not automatically covered by its approval. Ask whether the battery would stay within the approved parcel boundaries and whether it meets the applicable capacity condition. Request an explanation using the equipment specifications; a project nickname or a single megawatt figure is not enough.

The posted county article describes standalone batteries in industrial districts through a special-exception route. Ask the county to confirm the zoning district and reviewing process for your parcel before assuming that agricultural acreage or a nearby power line makes the proposed use permissible.

Reference: Virginia Code: qualifying battery additions to approved solar, §15.2-2316.10 · Buckingham County: posted zoning ordinance, Article 12 and legacy-solar alternatives

Know what an application signature means

The county’s general zoning application identifies the permit applicant separately from the landowner. Its signature page asks both to certify the information and says a power of attorney can be accepted in place of the landowner signature. This general form is not confirmation that it is the correct battery application.

Ask which form is required for this project, who prepares it and who checks the statements before you sign. Request the complete submission, including every drawing and attachment referenced on the signature page.

If someone proposes using a power of attorney, have your adviser review its scope. Identify the application it covers, whether it allows revisions, when it ends and whether it authorizes any separate agreement. Keep your copy with the submitted plans.

An application signature and a lease amendment serve different purposes. Ask which document grants study access, which grants long-term occupancy and which makes anyone responsible for review expenses. Do not leave those obligations to an explanation given after signing.

Reference: Buckingham County: general zoning permit application · Buckingham County: permits and forms

Compare the new layout with the land you already committed

Mark the existing lease area, approved solar parcel, proposed battery fence and land you intend to retain on one drawing. Staying on an approved parcel does not establish that a private lease grants all the space or uses now proposed.

Include fire access, delivery routes, cable corridors, drainage work and temporary construction space. Ask whether vehicles would use a shared farm entrance or a road serving a tenant, and who repairs wear or damage.

Discuss any additional payment and when it begins. Who pays while the addition is being studied? What happens if it is canceled? Ask whether the proposal would extend an existing option or reserve more land, and set a date for releasing space that is no longer needed.

The state provision addresses public approval and associated siting-agreement terms. It does not establish what your private agreement pays or what new rights you have agreed to grant. Review those documents together before accepting a battery amendment.

Reference: Virginia Code: qualifying battery additions to approved solar, §15.2-2316.10

Give the batteries their own operating and removal responsibilities

Ask who operates the batteries and who answers concerns outside business hours. Request the response plan for the actual equipment and an explanation of the fire-service coordination completed so far. Identify the responsible party if the battery operator differs from the solar operator.

Alternate B’s listed materials include a battery decommissioning plan and financial assurance. Ask for the actual proposed plan and instrument. A requirement to provide security does not prove it has been funded or that it covers every restoration obligation in your lease.

Discuss what happens if the batteries close while the solar project continues, or the solar lease ends while battery rights remain. Who removes each installation, restores access and drainage, and releases recorded rights? Identify deadlines and the party responsible for costs.

Ask how those obligations survive a project transfer. Request notice of a new operator and current emergency contacts. Have your adviser check who remains responsible for payment, repairs and removal after an assignment.

Reference: Buckingham County: posted zoning ordinance, Article 12 and legacy-solar alternatives

Ask us about your Buckingham County property

Start with your name, email and phone, then the property location. Virginia and Buckingham County are selected here and can be changed. Approximate acreage and a parcel number are optional.

Mention an existing solar permit, option, lease, tenant or shared entrance. Tell us which land you want to keep using and whether you have received a battery proposal or signature request.

Submitting the form starts a conversation with Sunland America. It does not grant access, authorize an application or reserve your property.