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East Lansing, MI, Code of Ordinances
Updated March 2019These regulations belong to the Age-Friendly Communities, Form-Based Zoning, and Solar Energy collections. -
Wilmington, NC, Code of Ordinances
Updated December 2019This regulation belongs to the Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Solar Energy collections. -
Newark, DE, Code of Ordinances
2017The city's subdivision ordinance includes design standards for energy conservation and solar access including general design and construction principles and subdivision plan guidelines and requirements that address solar orientation. -
Howard County, MD, PlanHoward 2030
Updated February 2021by:The Energy Resources section of the county's general plan includes policies and implementing actions around promoting renewable energy resources. -
Independence, KS, Code of Ordinances
Updated August 2020This city's zoning code allows residents to establish solar access easements as agreements between property owners establishing a "solar skyspace envelope." -
Idaho Springs, CO, Design Guidelines for Historic Structures
2007The city's historic structure design guidelines address the placement of solar panels on historic structures. -
Stearns County, MN, Shape Stearns 2040 Comprehensive Plan
Adopted July 2020The county's comprehensive plan includes a Clean Energy focus area in its Agriculture element. -
Inyo County, CA, General Plan
Updated March 2015The county's comprehensive plan includes a Renewable Energy amendment that provides siting guidance for community- and utility-scale solar facilities. -
San Bernardino County, CA, Countywide Plan
Adopted October 2020The county's comprehensive plan includes a Renewable Energy & Conservation element. -
How to Solar Now: A Solar Energy Toolkit for Your Community
January 2021This toolkit is designed to help communities in New York's Hudson Valley and beyond update zoning regulations and improve land-use decision-making processes for large-scale solar development. -
State and Local Planning for Energy
October 2021This interactive map belongs to the Green Building, Solar Energy, and Wind Energy collections. -
Cape Cod Commission, MA, Solar Screening Tool
2021This interactive map is designed to help local jurisdictions, solar developers, and utilities to identify potential sites for large-scale solar development in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. -
Illinois Solar Model Ordinance
August 2020This model ordinance provides a template to help planners in Illinois draft land-use and development regulations that permit solar development at different scales and in different land-use contexts. -
Iowa Solar Model Ordinance
August 2020This model ordinance provides a template to help planners in Iowa draft land-use and development regulations that permit solar development at different scales and in different land-use contexts. -
Wisconsin Solar Model Ordinance
August 2020This model ordinance provides a template to help planners in Wisconsin draft land-use and development regulations that permit solar development at different scales and in different land-use contexts. -
Minnesota Solar Model Ordinance
August 2020This model ordinance provides a template to help planners in Minnesota draft land-use and development regulations that permit solar development at different scales and in different land-use contexts. -
Kentucky Model Solar Zoning Ordinance
September 2020This model ordinance provides a template to help planners in Kentucky draft land-use and development regulations that permit solar development at different scales and in different land-use contexts. -
New York Solar Guidebook for Local Governments
August 2020This guide includes several tools and resources to support municipalities with the development, installation, and maintenance of solar energy projects. -
Model Site Plan Regulations and Conditional Use Permits to Support Solar Energy Systems in Maine Municipalities
February 2020This model ordinance provides a template to help planners in Maine draft land-use and development regulations that permit solar development at different scales and in different land-use contexts. -
Siting Utility-Scale Solar and Wind in Iowa: A Guide for Local Governments
April 2020by: Jenna Greene, Brian Ross, AICP, Jessica WyattThis guide is designed to help local government staff and officials understand the market potential of and opportunities to support large-scale wind and solar development. -
Solar Energy: SolSmart's Toolkit for Local Governments
2020This guide is designed to help local government staff and officials identify and take advantage of opportunities to grow local solar markets. -
State Pollinator-Friendly Solar Initiatives
January 2020by: Georgena TerryThis briefing paper is designed to help state officials and policy advocates understand existing state policies and initiatives aimed at protecting or expanding pollinator habitat through solar development. -
An Opportunity for Maryland to Get Solar Siting Right
Abell Report Volume 32, Number 7, September 2019by: Dru Schmidt-PerkinsThis report is designed to help state officials and policy advocates in Maryland understand opportunities to encourage solar development after the passage of the Clean Energy Jobs Act. -
Lake County, IL, Solar Energy Task Force Model Ordinance
2019This model ordinance provides a template to help municipal planners in Lake County, Illinois, draft land-use and development regulations that permit solar development at different scales and in different land-use contexts. -
York County, PA, Solar Energy Systems Model Ordinance
2018This model ordinance provides a template to help municipal planners in York County, Pennsylvania, draft land-use and development regulations that permit solar development at different scales and in different contexts. -
York County, SC, Code of Ordinances
Updated January 2020The county's zoning code permits solar energy systems as a principal use in agricultural zoning districts -
Recommendations for Utility-Scale Solar Developers: Best Practices for Land Use and Zoning Project Approval
March 2018by: Maggie ClarkThis briefing paper is designed to help solar developers in North Carolina and Virginia plan and implement large-scale solar projects. -
Routt County, CO, Zoning Regulations
Updated September 2020The county's zoning code permits accessory solar energy systems by right in all zoning districts and primary use renewable energy production facilities as special uses in agricultural, commercial, and industrial districts. -
Jackson Township, OH, Zoning Resolution
Adopted January 2013The township's zoning code provides definitions and standards for small, medium, and large solar energy systems. -
Solar Energy Standards - Counties
Updated February 2014by: Brian Ross, AICPThis model ordinance for counties in Minnesota provides a template for zoning regulations for large-scale solar energy systems. -
Chamblee, GA, Zoning Ordinance
Updated April 2020The city's unified development code permits accessory solar energy systems by right in all districts and primary-use solar energy systems in two industrial districts by right, subject to use-specific standards. -
Woburn, MA, Zoning Ordinance
Updated May 2020The city's zoning code defines and permits small-, medium-, and large-scale solar energy systems -
Hendersonville, TN, Zoning Ordinance
Updated January 2020The city's zoning code permits primary- and accessory-use solar energy systems, subject to use-specific standards. -
Goodyear, AZ, Municipal Codes
Updated August 2020The city's zoning code permits primary-use solar energy generation facilities in all districts as a special use. -
Montgomery, IL, Zoning Ordinance
Updated October 2017The village's zoning code permits accessory solar energy systems in all districts subject to standards; utility-scale systems are allowed as special uses in manufacturing districts. -
Huntsville, AL, Zoning Ordinance
Updated May 2020The city's zoning code allows accessory use solar energy systems in all zoning districts and primary use systems in most nonresidential districts as a special exception use. -
Houston County, MN, Ordinances
Updated November 2018The county's zoning code permits accessory and principal use solar energy systems in all districts by right and establishes protections for solar access. -
Warwick Township, PA, Township Code
Updated June 2019The township's zoning code defines "solar energy system" and provides standards for accessory and principal use solar energy systems. -
Pierce County, WI, County Code
Updated March 2019The county's zoning ordinance permits small solar energy systems with a land use permit and large solar energy systems with a conditional use permit in all districts except one. -
Syracuse, NY, Comprehensive Plan 2040
Adopted March 2014This comprehensive plan belongs to the Brownfields Redevelopment, Form-Based Zoning, Green Building, Green Stormwater Infrastructure, and Solar Energy collections. -
Wall Township, NJ, Municipal Code
Updated May 2020The township's land use and development code provides standards for principal-use solar farms, permitted by right with site plan approval in agricultural, industrial, and office districts. -
Vista, CA, General Plan 2030
Adopted February 2012The city's comprehensive plan includes policies to promote efficient and sustainable use of energy resources by incorporating passive solar design features in new buildings and identifying sites for solar energy production -
Wadsworth, IL, Village Code
Updated December 2019These regulations belong to the Scenic View Protection and Solar Energy collections. -
Farmington Hills, MI, Vision 2020: Recommended Transportation and Energy Policies
October 2011The city's Sustainability Vision for Energy and Transportation includes a number of suggestions for promoting solar energy use. -
Accelerating Large-Scale Wind and Solar Energy in New York: Principles and Recommendations
October 2017This report is designed to help state officials and policy advocates in New York understand opportunities to expand large-scale solar and wind development to reach the state's renewable energy goals. -
Low Impact Solar Development: A Guide for Siting Ground Mounted Solar on Low Impact Sites on Long Island
Spring 2017by: Nina Lagpacan, Jessica LeungThis guide is designed to help local government staff and officials evaluate opportunities to site solar energy systems on landfills and airport properties and in parking lots. -
North Carolina Solar and Agriculture
April 2017by: Robin Aldina, Daniel Parker, Brian SeoThis report is designed to help landowners and state and local officials in North Carolina understand opportunities and tradeoffs associated with siting solar projects on agricultural land. -
Benefits and Costs of Model Solar Applications for Local Governments
August 2016This report is designed to help local government staff and officials in Texas conduct benefit cost analyses for solar projects on public land and facilities. -
Template Ordinance for Solar Energy Development in North Carolina
October 2016This model solar ordinance template for North Carolina communities offers simple standards for three categories of solar energy systems covering both accessory and principle-use systems, along with additional information and resources on solar energy use. -
Community Solar An Opportunity to Enhance Sustainable Development on Landfills and Other Contaminated Sites
December 2016This guide is designed to help local government staff and officials evaluate opportunities to site community-scale solar projects on landfills and other public and private contaminated sites.