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Township trustees press commissioners for tools to limit large solar fields
Summary
Trustees from three townships told Williams County commissioners they had passed resolutions opposing utility-scale solar of 50 megawatts or larger and asked how local zoning, state law and decommissioning bonds would affect siting and long‑term land use.
Trustees from three Williams County townships and county officials met to discuss large-scale solar development, focusing on what local governments can legally restrict, how tax revenue is shared, and whether decommissioning bonds will cover long-term reclamation.
The most immediate question was legal authority. Thad, the county attorney, told trustees that projects below 50 megawatts are governed by local zoning while projects of 50 megawatts and above fall under the state Power Siting Board’s jurisdiction unless county commissioners adopt an exclusion area. He also said township zoning can be used to prohibit small projects under 50 megawatts.
Why it matters: trustees and several landowners said large solar fields can remove productive farmland for decades, creating long-term land‑use and tax-revenue consequences for schools and other taxing districts. Several speakers pressed officials for clearer rules, more research on decommissioning bonds and recycling, and the possibility of putting the question to voters.
Discussion highlights - Township resolutions: Ed Roofer of Springfield Township said three townships — Springfield, Center and Velasquez — “have passed resolutions to, broken the large…
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