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Commission enacts 48-month moratorium on commercial solar projects; seeks work session and legal review
Summary
After discussion of fire, environmental and emergency-response risks tied to large solar arrays and battery installations, the Bourbon County Commission adopted a four-year moratorium on commercial-scale solar projects and directed staff to schedule a work session and seek legal review of draft standards.
The Bourbon County Commission adopted a resolution enacting a temporary moratorium on commercial-scale solar energy projects at its Jan. 13 meeting and directed county staff to begin a work session process to develop technical standards and response requirements.
Commission discussion focused on public-safety and emergency-response concerns tied to large solar fields and associated battery-energy-storage systems. Commissioners and commenters cited a technical study about emissions and the high temperatures and difficult-to-extinguish fires associated with lithium-ion battery fires at utility scale. County speakers said the county's volunteer fire departments are equipped to fight standard residential and structural fires but are not currently resourced or staffed to safely respond to large-scale battery fires or cascading solar-site fires.
The commission's proposed resolution directed staff to develop technical mitigation and response standards, to consult with fire and emergency response agencies, and to seek an attorney review of any enforceable requirements. Commissioners also requested a public work session to develop a measurable set of requirements—equipment, staffing and training levels, water/foam capabilities, and cybersecurity and grid-related risk mitigation—that a developer would have to demonstrate before receiving county approval for a large solar project.
After discussion, the commission voted to adopt Resolution 07-25, enacting a moratorium on commercial solar projects for 48 months (effective Jan. 13, 2025). Commissioners said the moratorium will give the county time to define response capability standards and possible mitigation measures before permitting new utility-scale projects.
Ending: The commission instructed the county counselor and staff to schedule a work session with fire, public-works and legal staff and to return a draft ordinance or standards for consideration; the resolution was lawyer-reviewed as a draft and will be returned for formal signatures.
