Solar Farm Next to Waller Mill Reservoir Considered by Williamsburg

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Solar Farm Next to Waller Mill Reservoir Considered by Williamsburg

City owns the land, but York County would also need to approve the project

Nov 17, 2025

At a recent work session, the Williamsburg City Council listened to a proposal to build a large-scale solar and energy-storage facility on more than 160 acres of city-owned surplus land next to the Waller Mill Reservoir. Representatives of the the company behind the proposal, Cenergy, appeared via teleconference and explained how they want to install a 19.8-megawatt (MW) solar array paired with 8 MW of battery storage on property northeast and southeast of the reservoir. The company states that it has developed or managed more than 400 solar installations nationwide, including more than 60 MW of distributed generation under contract in Virginia. No decisions were made by the City Council regarding the project.

Company representatives informed the council that building the solar farm is feasible as the land sits near a viable connection to the nearby electrical grid. In return for leasing the land, the company estimates the City could earn up to $5.8 million over 15 years through lease payments, revenue sharing and an upfront payment of roughly $1 million following construction. Company representatives indicated that the project is being timed to align with Dominion Energy’s competitive Request for Proposals, which closes in February.

Environmental concerns

Due to the proposed project’s location next to Waller Mill Reservoir, the City’s primary source of clean water, potential environmental impact was a focus of the discussion. A Cenergy representative participating in the presentation stated that the process would include reviewing flood planes, wetlands, endangered species, all of those environmental checks that we need to do as some of the due diligence that is required as part of our standard operating procedure, but also as part of this RFP.”

Though the company offered assurances about the project’s negligible environmental impact, Williamsburg Mayor Doug Pons voiced what will probably be a common concern among city residents. “I’ll just cut to the chase. If we were talking about land next to an airport, the impact would be pretty negligible. And maybe the impact here would be negligible, but there’s still an impact and that concerns me.”

Vice Mayor Pat Dent shared Pons’ concerns. “You showed several photographs of [projects next to] airports, but I didn’t see any photographs of watershed property … that have a solar farm adjacent to a reservoir. So I agree that does raise some doubts and concerns for me.”

The project would require clearing about 122 acres of trees but that the clean-energy output would offset significant carbon emissions. The company said it would follow watershed protection rules, maintain a 200-foot setback from the reservoir and tributaries, and use ground cover designed to prevent erosion. The company will also test soil and water quality if requested, though they emphasized that the solar panels are considered non-toxic.

York County approval also needed

Even if Williamsburg decides to move forward with the offer, the land sits in York County, so the proposal still must go through that county’s zoning and permitting process. In 2017, the Board of Supervisors amended its zoning ordinance to define solar farms as a principal permitted use under specific conditions, setting requirements such as a minimum five-acre parcel size, 50-foot setbacks, perimeter landscaping to shield views, and documentation to ensure glare is minimized. The County also mandates maintenance agreements and financial bonding to guarantee that facilities are decommissioned and removed if they cease operation.

Since adopting those standards, York County has considered and approved other solar projects, such as Dominion Energy’s 2019 proposal for a 380-acre array on Penniman Road, though the project has yet to be built.

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