Carol C. Wampler Department of Environmental Quality Richmond, Virginia Governor’s Energy Conference October 16, 2013
Statute Regulation Model Ordinances Informal Stakeholder Collaboration
Code of Virginia § et seq Small Renewable Energy Projects Act
Effective December 22, 2010
PBR: Requirements set forth “up front” in regulation Applicant successfully completes 14 requirements = DEQ decision within 90 days Applies to projects >5 MW rated capacity For projects ≤5 MW, only notice & local government certification required Addresses primarily wildlife & historic resources impacts
RegulationAgency Guidance Regulation and Agency Guidance Posted on DEQ’s Website: RenewableEnergy/WindEnergy.aspx
Federal requirements not referenced in state regulation Agency Guidance makes clear that all federal, local, and other state requirements must be met
For projects with rated capacity ≤ 5 megawatts, local government certification of compliance with land-use ordinances must be provided Statutory and regulatory requirement
CONSTRUCTIONandOPERATIONof Small Renewable Energy Projects
Siting Decommissioning and Health, Safety, & Welfare
Developed by stakeholders on DEQ’s Local Government Outreach Group (LOG) Chaired by DEQ’s Director David Paylor Posted on DEQ’s Website: RenewableEnergy/LocalGovernmentOutreach.aspx Suggested resources for local governments & citizens
Local Government Stakeholders State Government
Carol Wampler