County staff outlines solar and energy-storage code changes; commission sets setbacks and other draft requirements

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…