Battery storage land in Harrisonburg, Virginia

What Harrisonburg’s September decision established

The City’s September 22, 2026 resolution authorizes agreements associated with Harrisonburg Electric Commission’s participation in a battery project. It addresses the purchase of battery output and connection to the utility system. The executed resolution is dated September 22.

The decision describes a utility arrangement intended to reduce peak electricity purchasing costs. It does not identify private parcels available for lease, establish a private land rental rate or show that a battery has started operating. Keep an authorization to enter agreements separate from completed construction and operation.

If someone mentions the City’s project while discussing your property, ask whether they are working on that project or proposing a different one. Request the project company’s legal name, the site it intends to use and the documents tying the offer to that site. A familiar utility or developer name does not settle those questions.

Sunland can discuss the property and the information you have. An inquiry does not put your land into the City’s project or make Sunland a party to those utility agreements.

Reference: Harrisonburg: executed September 22, 2026 resolution · Harrisonburg: September 22, 2026 battery agreements, RES 26-008 and attachments

Revisit the terms when a project changes

The September staff memorandum says the earlier arrangement did not materialize as anticipated. It describes a new project with a different developer and a longer lease and contract term. That is a useful reminder to review the current documents rather than carrying forward assumptions from an older presentation.

For your own offer, ask what changed: the company, equipment, land area, connection, timetable or proposed term. Request a revised drawing and payment schedule. An explanation that the project is essentially the same can leave important property questions unanswered.

If you signed an option for an earlier proposal, gather that agreement and every amendment before considering an extension. Identify what the company is entitled to change, what requires your consent and which payments are due. Ask what specific work the next option period is meant to accomplish.

Consider the effect of a longer term on your plans. Would it delay selling part of the property, replacing a tenant or developing the retained land? Compare those effects with the actual payment offered. A public project’s term should not be treated as a standard that your private agreement must follow.

Reference: Harrisonburg: September 2026 memorandum describing the revised project

Separate the land agreement from the connection agreement

The interconnection form attached to the September agenda treats the tolling agreement and sublease as conditions to its effectiveness. It also requires permits and authorizations for the facility. These are separate documents with different purposes; one does not answer every question covered by the others.

For a private property, ask for a list of the documents the project needs. Which agreement gives permission to use the land? Which covers the utility connection? Which covers the project’s electricity services? Ask who signs each document and what still has to happen before it takes effect.

The posted interconnection form has unfilled party details and signature lines. Its conceptual-map attachment is not a completed site drawing. Council authorization to use a form should not be presented as proof that all agreements have been signed or that the final layout is fixed.

Ask the team to explain the status in plain language. Has a connection request been submitted, has a study been completed, or has a final agreement been executed? Request the actual document supporting the answer. A nearby line, substation or announced project does not establish available capacity for your parcel.

Reference: Harrisonburg: interconnection agreement form attached to September agenda · Harrisonburg: executed September 22, 2026 resolution

Keep utility savings separate from your land payment

The public resolution discusses savings from reducing peak electricity purchases. Those expected utility benefits are different from compensation for using an owner’s land. They do not tell you what a developer will pay for your property.

Ask for your payments separately: what is paid during an option, when operating rent begins, any increases and any payment for additional rights. Find out whether a payment depends on construction, utility connection or another milestone. Have those dates and conditions written clearly.

The attached connection form assigns responsibility for different connection facilities to the project provider and host utility. That allocation belongs to the described arrangement. It is not evidence that a utility will pay the same costs for another project or that a private landowner must fund them.

If an offer asks you to contribute to a study, upgrade, tax increase or other expense, ask why and whether there is a limit. Identify who pays if the project stops. Avoid treating an anticipated utility benefit as money you are guaranteed to receive.

Reference: Harrisonburg: executed September 22, 2026 resolution · Harrisonburg: interconnection agreement form attached to September agenda

Draw every right needed outside the battery area

Ask the developer to show the equipment footprint, entrance, cable route, drainage work and temporary construction area. Mark the parts of the property you intend to keep using. The area occupied by battery enclosures may be smaller than the area affected by all requested rights.

Discuss access during construction and routine operation. Where would delivery vehicles turn? Who can enter the site after hours? Would an entrance also serve a tenant, farm operator or neighbor? Explain existing access arrangements before accepting a drawing that assumes exclusive use.

Request the current engineering drawing rather than relying on a conceptual attachment. Ask how later changes would be handled if equipment moves, a cable route crosses another part of the land or additional work space is needed. Identify which changes need your written agreement.

If the connection crosses another owner’s property, ask who secures that right and when. Your signature cannot supply a neighboring owner’s permission. Keep your option’s payment and release dates clear while outside rights are being investigated.

Check responsibilities when the company or project stops

Identify the company responsible for rent, maintenance, damage and removal. Ask what happens if it transfers the project or uses another company to operate the equipment. The person who first contacted you may not be the party signing the final agreement.

The posted utility connection form contains transfer provisions with different conditions and exceptions. Those provisions address that connection arrangement. They do not establish what consent a private landowner has under a separate lease. Have the reviewer compare the actual documents rather than assuming the same transfer rules apply everywhere.

The form also addresses disconnecting the facility when relevant agreements terminate. Disconnecting equipment from the grid is a different task from removing it and restoring land. Ask who pays to remove equipment, foundations and cables, what restoration is required and how that obligation is supported.

Discuss your position if rent stops or the operator does not respond. Who receives notices, who can enter to make the site safe and what happens to retained land access? Make sure responsibility is explained before the property is committed for a long period.

Reference: Harrisonburg: interconnection agreement form attached to September agenda

Start with the location and the proposal you have

Use the property inquiry form to send your name, email and phone number, then the location. Identify whether the property is within the City of Harrisonburg or outside it in Rockingham County. That distinction matters when checking the responsible authority and utility.

Include the current land use, any tenant or existing electricity equipment and whether you are considering a lease, sale or initial discussion. Acreage and a parcel number are helpful if available, but they are optional. You do not need a finished project plan to begin.

If you have an existing offer, mention the company, any deadline and whether it seeks an option extension or new rights. A short description is enough for the first inquiry. Explain what you want to preserve, such as an entrance, building use or future development area.

Further review needs to establish the actual use, approval route, connection, costs and commercial interest for your property. The City’s utility resolution is background for that conversation, not a promise of a land deal.