Montgomery City Board of Adjustments approves Silicon Ranch solar special exception with 500-foot residential setback

The Montgomery City Board of Adjustments voted to approve a special exception allowing Silicon Ranch Corporation to develop a large-scale solar facility on roughly 912–913 acres, subject to conditions that include a 500-foot setback from the nearest residence on the west and southwest sides, an agreement with Alabama Rivers Alliance on water-quality monitoring, a decommissioning plan, and other safety measures.

Board members and the applicant framed the decision as a compromise after several weeks of community meetings and negotiations. Matt Kisber, co‑founder and chairman of Silicon Ranch, said the company returned to the board after outreach work and emphasized the company’s community focus. Gina Brown, who leads Silicon Ranch’s community engagement, told the board the company had met with neighbors, responded to a list of concerns and “plan[ned] to enter into an MOU with Alabama Rivers Alliance and Friends of the Alabama River in order to engage in the water quality testing.”

Neighbors and environmental and community groups told the board they still had unanswered safety and environmental questions. Karen Bollinger and other residents pressed for larger setbacks and stronger written guarantees on cleanup and monitoring, citing concerns about stormwater runoff into local wetlands and the potential for panel damage in severe weather. Cindy Lowery, executive director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, said her group would work with the applicant and community and that, in her view, “they are gonna work with us on this MOU.”

Why it matters: The site would interconnect with Alabama Power and, according to the applicant’s presentation, represents an estimated $100 million capital investment and about $14 million in tax generation over the project’s life. Neighbors said the project would set a…