Carroll County planning staff briefed the Planning and Zoning Commission July 15 on proposed zoning changes to implement state legislation on solar projects and to add local standards for solar arrays and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Staff said the state requires solar projects between 1 megawatt and 5 megawatts to be permitted as principal uses; projects under 1 megawatt remain at local discretion. Commissioners recommended not pursuing additional local size categories below 1 megawatt at this time. For projects greater than 5 megawatts, state law allows counties to restrict siting in certain tiers; Carroll County does not have growth tiers, so staff proposed and commissioners agreed to prohibit projects larger than 5 megawatts inside designated growth areas. Staff will track state developments about how preserved easement acreage might be treated in priority-preservation calculations and said they will confer with the county’s state delegation if legislative clarification emerges.

The commission discussed and reached consensus on a set of draft local controls to include in the county code rewrite. Staff indicated the draft will be revised and circulated before the next meeting. Key points the commission agreed to include:

- Setbacks: retain a 100-foot minimum setback from property lines for solar facilities and a 150-foot minimum from the nearest residential building wall to the solar panels/structures; staff will add explicit text that those setback distances are not eligible for variance.
- Fencing and screening: require opaque fencing/screening where appropriate to reduce visual impact; vegetative buffers similar to solar requirements will be required.
- Visual and noise considerations: staff noted the Maryland Public Service Commission requires a visual-impact study for projects that go through a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) (projects typically at or above 2 MW); county staff said existing code language and setback/buffer rules address most concerns for smaller projects, but commissioners asked staff to keep visual-analysis tools available if particular sites warrant additional review. Staff also said APA guidance suggests a 400-foot buffer or a 125-foot screened buffer substantially attenuates perceived noise; with the larger setbacks the commission adopted for battery systems, staff judged a noise study is not generally necessary but will keep the option available.
- Agrivoltaics and preserved farmland: commissioners and staff agreed not to create a separate agrivoltaics section at present and to rely on existing agricultural and conservation policies while monitoring technology and policy developments.

Battery energy storage systems: staff described front-of-the-meter BESS (large, stand-alone storage installations connected to the grid) and proposed stricter separation distances because of fire and thermal-runaway risks. The draft code language discussed applying multiplier-based setbacks used elsewhere in the code; commissioners favored the county’s most protective multiplier (five times the basic distance) for BESS, which equates to roughly a 1,000-foot separation from residential lots under the currently used baseline numeric distances. The commission also supported requiring opaque fencing, access drives adequate for emergency vehicles, decommissioning plans and bonds, and referencing NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards for fire-safety and suppression (staff will try to obtain a copy of the NFPA guidance for review by local fire/EMS).

Staff told the commission it will update the draft code to reflect the commission’s direction, clarify the “no-variance” language for required setbacks, and return with the text at a subsequent meeting. No binding vote was taken during the briefing; staff plans to deliver an updated code draft for formal action in the coming meeting cycle.