All Roll Calls
Yes: 182 • No: 69
Sponsored By: Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (Democratic)
Became Law
Land development; solar canopies in parking areas. Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated surface parking areas. Such provisions shall apply only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 or more new off-street contiguous parking spaces and may require coverage of up to 50 percent of the surface parking area. The bill provides that an ordinance adopted pursuant to this bill shall be subject to various additional requirements and shall allow for deviations, in whole or in part, from the requirements of the ordinance when its strict application would prevent the development of uses and densities otherwise allowed by the locality's zoning or development ordinance or when a property owner shows that the solar canopy, if installed as otherwise required under the ordinance, will generate less than 75 percent of the electricity that would be expected, given the nameplate capacity of the solar modules installed on such canopy, if the canopy were to be installed at another location in the locality without surrounding impediments to insolation such as buildings or shading vegetation. Finally, the bill provides that the applicant or owner may use the electric energy generated from such solar canopy to offset the consumption of the parking lot or adjoining building served under the same account. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1234.
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2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
You can use solar canopy power to offset the parking lot’s or an adjoining building’s electricity if they share the same account. You may choose to interconnect under Virginia rules 20VAC5-314 or 20VAC5-315. A canopy can be owned by a third party by contract, deed, or lease. These options are available beginning July 1, 2027.
The law lets any locality require solar canopies over up to 50% of a qualified parking area. A qualified area is a new surface lot (or addition) with 100 or more new contiguous off-street spaces for nonresidential uses. Any local rule must apply the same to public and private lots. Mixed-use projects are exempt when 50% or more of the new square footage is residential. Localities must allow exceptions if the rule would block allowed development, or if P90 modeling shows less than 75% of expected unshaded output. Canopies do not add impervious area for stormwater if the paved surface under them is already counted. Landscaping and tree-canopy requirements under the canopy are removed. Applicants may choose one canopy or many. These authorities and limits take effect July 1, 2027.
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy
Democratic • Senate
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
All Roll Calls
Yes: 182 • No: 69
Senate vote • 2/27/2026
House amendments agreed to by Senate
Yes: 20 • No: 19
House vote • 2/25/2026
Passed House with amendments
Yes: 75 • No: 21
House vote • 2/20/2026
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns
Yes: 18 • No: 3
Senate vote • 2/12/2026
Read third time and passed Senate
Yes: 21 • No: 19
Senate vote • 2/11/2026
Senator Carroll Foy Amendment agreed to
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/11/2026
Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/10/2026
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/10/2026
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading)
Yes: 40 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/9/2026
Reported from Local Government with substitute
Yes: 8 • No: 7
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0758)
Approved by Governor-Chapter 758 (Effective 7/1/2027)
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB26ER)
Enrolled
Signed by President
Signed by Speaker
House amendments agreed to by Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A)
Passed House with amendments (75-Y 21-N 0-A)
Engrossed by House as amended
Delegate Sewell Floor amendments agreed to
Read third time
Floor Offered
Read second time
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (18-Y 3-N)
Read first time
Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
Placed on Calendar
Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
Floor offered
Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote)
Senator Carroll Foy Amendment agreed to
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute as amended (Voice Vote)
Committee substitute agreed to
Chaptered
4/13/2026
Enrolled
3/4/2026
Amendment
2/25/2026
Amendment
2/11/2026
Engrossed
2/11/2026
Substitute
2/9/2026
Introduced
11/17/2025
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