Right to farm; solar panels.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the specific protections or regulations for combined agricultural and solar operations, leaving some aspects of the bill's impact uncertain.

Right to Farm; Solar Panels

This bill amends Virginia's Right to Farm law by including solar panel operations that produce electricity alongside farming activities.

What This Bill Does

• Amends the definition of 'agricultural operation' in Virginia's Right to Farm law.
• Includes any operation for producing electricity from solar panels concurrent with the production of crops, animals, or fowl as an agricultural operation.

Who It Names or Affects

• Farmers and landowners who operate both farming activities and solar panel operations.
• Local governments that regulate land use and zoning.

Terms To Know

Agricultural operation

Any activity related to growing crops, raising animals or birds, producing electricity from solar panels alongside these activities, or housing livestock as defined in § 3.2-6500.

Right to Farm law

A law that limits the circumstances under which agricultural operations may be deemed a nuisance by preventing certain actions by localities.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how local governments must regulate solar panel and farming operations.
• It is unclear what specific protections are provided to combined agricultural and solar operations beyond preventing them from being treated as nuisances.

Official Summary Text

Right to farm; solar panels.
Adds any operation for the production of electricity from solar panels concurrent with the bona fide production of crops, animals, or fowl to the definition of "agricultural operation" in the Right to Farm law, which limits the circumstances under which agricultural operations may be deemed a nuisance by preventing certain actions by localities.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend and reenact §
3.2-300
of the Code of Virginia, relating to right to farm; solar panels.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
3.2-300
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
3.2-300
. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Agricultural operation" means any operation devoted to the bona fide production of crops, animals, or fowl, including the production of fruits and vegetables of all kinds, meat, dairy, and poultry products, nuts, tobacco, nursery, and floral products and the production and harvest of products from silviculture activity. "Agricultural operation" also includes any operation devoted to the housing of livestock as defined in §
3.2-6500
and any operation for the production of electricity from solar panels
co
ncurrent
with the bona fide production of crops, animals, or fowl
.

"Production agriculture and silviculture" means the bona fide production or harvesting of agricultural or silvicultural products but does not include the processing of agricultural or silvicultural products or the above ground application or storage of sewage sludge.