Henrico plans Dominion Energy solar farm on 1970s landfill
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Henrico OK'd plans this week to turn a decommissioned 1970s landfill into a solar farm.
Why it matters: The project would transform part of a long-vacant 58-acre property in Varina into one of the county's more unusual clean energy sites.
Driving the news: On Tuesday night, Henrico's Board of Supervisors approved Dominion Energy's proposal to build the facility under a 35-year lease with the county.
- County planners say solar is a beneficial use for the site located at Milburn Avenue and Voegier Road — especially since its steep slopes limit redevelopment options.
- Dominion Energy representatives say the project will support Virginia's goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045, according to county documents shared with Axios.
- And unlike the company's Chesterfield gas plant — or the latest data center proposal brewing pushback in Henrico — no one spoke against the project during public comment.
Zoom in: The site is wedged between two historic Black cemeteries in Richmond — East End and Oakwood — which officials say provide a buffer to keep the panels out of public view.
- Dominion will place the panels atop 16 acres of the landfill, generating enough power for hundreds of homes, per the documents.
- When the lease ends, Dominion will remove them and restore it to its current state.
Zoom out: Henrico is part of a growing wave of localities in Virginia — and nationwide — that have seized on converting old landfills into solar farms.
- It's already begun work on a separate solar installation at the Springfield Road Landfill.
- Fairfax started construction on one in June, Albemarle County has another underway and Richmond is considering a "solar meadow" at the East End Richmond Road landfill.
- Richmond's Office of Sustainability director Laura Thomas told VPM that the project could save nearby households over $100 annually on their electric bills.
The intrigue: 2025 is on track to be a rebound year for solar approvals statewide, after localities rejected more megawatts than they approved in 2024, per a Virginia Solar Database from UVA's Weldon Cooper Center.
- Southern and Central Virginia dominate approvals, per the database, while Northern and Southwest Virginia have approved the least.
What's next: Dominion Energy expects to begin construction on the Varina landfill solar farm in 2027, with the facility becoming operational in 2028.