County close to approving solar farm regulations

Jul. 15—After more than two years of discussion, Buchanan County is just a step away from establishing regulations on solar farms.

The Buchanan County Planning and Zoning Commission voted last week to send its draft for regulations on utility-scale solar farms to the Buchanan County Commissioners for a final vote.

Buchanan County has not received any applications for large solar farms, but the commissioners wanted guidelines for possible future development. These guidelines don't involve houses with solar panels.

"We absolutely need to have an ordinance, rules and regulations around industrial solar farms, so if someone comes before us and asks for a permit, we're not starting from scratch," said Al Purcell, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Kansas City-based engineering company Black & Veatch provided guidance over the past two years as the county worked to establish a solar farm ordinance for farms that generate around 50 megawatts or more of electricity.

"Knowledge was the big thing to overcome — just acquiring information," Purcell said. "And rather than just trying to say this is the way it ought to be done, it just takes time to bring folks along."

Proposed county rules for solar farms include requiring an applicant to provide a landscaping plan that provides a year-round visual buffer, such as trees or fencing, to shield the site from the view of nearby landowners.

Basic safety rules, like ensuring solar radiation or glare does not project onto structures, roadways, and air traffic, are also included.

Presiding Commissioner Scott Nelson said much of the language in the current draft was discussed in October 2023.

"We went through every sentence of every mandate," Nelson said. "There were like five of us in here, and we spent two or three hours going through that and proposing changes."

The rules go before the planning and zoning commission to be approved each time revisions are made. At least two revisions have been made since October, and the latest draft was passed unanimously.

"I'm proud of the board because we started at, like, ground zero in terms of just the knowledge," Purcell said. "We've acquired a lot of knowledge along the way, so I'm very happy that the board has reached an agreement and consensus."

The county commissioners will decide whether to accept the draft as early as next month, which is the last step toward establishing the rules.