West Bottom proposal wins unanimous support despite neighborhood concerns
By Heather Michon
Fluvanna’s Planning Commission unanimously backed a proposed solar facility in the West Bottom community on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The commission also advanced an ordinance intended to prohibit stand-alone data centers, although questions about smaller data facilities remain unresolved.
The solar proposal, submitted by Fluvanna CSG1 LLC and developed by Dimension Energy, would place approximately 9,400 solar panels on 21 acres of a 141-acre property along Bremo Road.
The 4.65-megawatt facility would operate under Virginia’s Shared Solar Program, which allows eligible Dominion Energy customers to subscribe to solar projects and receive credits on their electric bills.
Dimension Energy representatives said subscribers could generally receive a 10% discount, with a proposed 20% discount for eligible West Bottom residents.
After a public hearing and discussion, the Planning Commission voted 5-0 to find the project substantially in accord with the county’s Comprehensive Plan and 5-0 to recommend approving a special use permit.
The Board of Supervisors must still approve the permit before the project can go forward.
The proposal is considerably smaller than an earlier Pine Gate Renewable’s Swallowtail Solar project at the same property. That application proposed a 16-megawatt facility with construction spread across 145 acres of two parcels. The county did not advance it after changing its solar ordinance in 2024.
The Board of Supervisors revised its solar regulations earlier this summer to comply with changes in state law governing local restrictions on solar facilities.
During two public hearings, West Bottom residents raised concerns about groundwater, environmental safety, and preserving their historically significant rural community.
Nadine Armstrong and William Woodson both pointed to the community’s experience with coal ash operations at the nearby Bremo power station, and questioned whether residents would bear additional impacts from development.
“We’re trying to preserve our neighborhood,” said Armstrong. “It’s a historical neighborhood. And we only have so many people left in that neighborhood.”
Other speakers supported the project, arguing that solar development could provide income for rural landowners and advance the county’s renewable energy goals.
Commissioners generally agreed that the project’s limited footprint, substantial setbacks, and surrounding woodland would help preserve the area’s rural character.
They also discussed emergency access, stormwater management, potential archaeological resources, and noise from electrical inverters.
Dimension Energy said it would conduct an on-site cultural resources study later in the site-plan review process. The company also said it does not plan to incorporate battery storage
The developer agreed to consider additional protections, and commissioners added a requirement to buffer the inverters to their recommendation.
Company representatives estimated the project could generate $460,000 in revenue for the county over a 35-year lifespan.
They proposed a $15,000 contribution to the county and an annual payment of $1,400 per megawatt. This payment could increase over time.
Data center restrictions advance
In a separate unanimous vote, commissioners recommended removing data centers as a special-use permit in the county’s I-1 and I-2 industrial districts.
However, they deferred proposed regulations governing data centers operated as an accessory use to another business.
The Board of Supervisors had previously raised concerns that a data center ban could inadvertently impact businesses that rely heavily on computer servers. Commissioners agreed that more work was needed to distinguish those operations from stand-alone commercial data centers.
Several residents urged stronger protections against large data centers, citing concerns about electricity consumption, water demand, and rural land preservation.
The proposed restrictions now move to the Board of Supervisors for consideration, while the Planning Commission continues working on the accessory-use provisions.
