King William County, Virginia solar ordinance
Solar: 150 ft (principal solar energy facilities) from property lines, 150 ft (principal solar energy facilities) from roads, 20 ft (buildings, structures, solar panel arrays or other equipment) maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 29, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
7 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackprincipal solar energy facilitiesOne hundred fifty (150) feet from any property line or road. | 150 ft |
Road setbackprincipal solar energy facilitiesOne hundred fifty (150) feet from any property line or road. | 150 ft |
Setback from RPA wetlands, rivers, streams or other environmentally sensitive featuresprincipal solar energy facilitiesOne hundred (100) feet from RPA wetlands, rivers, streams or other environmentally sensitive features | 100 ft |
Setback from wetland not associated with an RPAprincipal solar energy facilitiesand fifty (50) feet from any wetland not associated with an RPA. | 50 ft |
Maximum heightbuildings, structures, solar panel arrays or other equipmentNo building, structures, solar panel arrays or other equipment utilized on site may exceed twenty (20) feet in height above finished grade. | 20 ft |
Fence heightsecurity fencingSecurity fencing shall be limited to eight (8) feet in height. | 8 ft |
Maximum project sizeUtility scale facilitiesUtility scale facilities may be no greater than one thousand (1,000) acres. | 1,000 acres |
Source: King William County ordinance (PDF), read September 29, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Virginia state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Virginia rules and counties.
State siting: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; State Corporation Commission
Projects up to 150 MW can use a permit by rule from the Department of Environmental Quality. Larger ones may need a certificate from the State Corporation Commission. Local approval is also needed.
Va. Code Ann. 10.1-1197.5, 56-265.2 (DOE and Berkeley Lab inventory, June 2024). Source
Limits on local rules
For ground-mounted solar of 1 MW or more serving other property, counties must use a special exception or siting agreement whose setbacks, screening and height stay within state ranges; a county can still deny the application, and can depart from the ranges only by written agreement with the landowner and applicant.
Va. Code 15.2-2288.8(A) (2026 Acts cc. 1005, 1068). Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies to ground-mounted solar of 1 MW or more that serves other property; each county must write its special-exception rules within these ranges (picking any number inside a range), may still deny a project, and may agree looser terms in a siting agreement.
| Homes (non-participating) | 150 to 200 ft |
| Schools, churches, community buildings | 150 to 200 ft |
| Public roads | 50 to 100 ft from roadbed edge |
| Property line (non-participating) | 50 to 75 ft |
| Wetlands and perennial streams | 50 ft (25 MW or less), 100 ft (over 25 MW) |
| Wetlands and streams in Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas | 100 to 125 ft |
| Panel height at full tilt | 25 ft |
| Screening buffer width | 25 to 50 ft wide; plants need not exceed 3 ft at planting |
| Vegetative ground cover | Up to 75% may be required |
| Decommissioning | Agreement plus financial assurance; estimate updated every 5 years |
Va. Code 15.2-2288.8(A) (2026 Acts cc. 1005, 1068); 15.2-2241.2. Source
Every Virginia figure in one spreadsheet
238 figures from 32 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 5 of those places are not on this site. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and Virginia state law.
How these figures were read
We found King William County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in King William County, VA?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 150 ft (principal solar energy facilities) from property lines and 150 ft (principal solar energy facilities) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in King William County, VA?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 20 ft (buildings, structures, solar panel arrays or other equipment). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.