This week, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a memorandum clarifying its interpretation of how solar panels should be treated when making important stormwater management calculations for new solar energy projects that are subject to key requirements in Virginia’s Stormwater Management Program.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Executive Director Peggy Sanner issued the following statement:
“A vibrant and prosperous future for Virginia will depend on the continued expansion of solar and other renewable energy sources, accompanied by necessary protections for irreplaceable forests, agricultural lands, and waterways.
“The memorandum from the Department of Environmental Quality provides a welcome reminder that the installation of solar panel arrays, like other construction projects, is subject to Virginia’s longstanding stormwater management rules. It also includes an important clarification that solar panels should be treated as impervious under those rules to protect downstream waterways and properties.”
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