Tooele County adopts energy development zone overlay in land-use code

The Tooele County Council on Oct. 21 adopted Ordinance 2025-16 to add an energy development zone overlay to the Tooele County Land Use Ordinance.

Shep Custer, a county planning staff member, presented the ordinance and introduced new planner Millie Pioquinto. Custer said staff requested enactment of Chapter 32 to create the energy development zone overlay and noted the state of Utah is encouraging jurisdictions that want to participate in large-scale energy zoning to adopt enabling language. He said the proposal received a favorable recommendation from the county planning commission.

Custer and staff told the council that adopting the overlay is an early step; the county is still awaiting a state-produced map that will identify potential areas where the overlay could be applied. Uses within the overlay would be processed through conditional-use permitting, and Custer said the council would have discretion to deny particular applications if they are incompatible with local conditions.

Councilman Wardle moved to adopt Ordinance 2025-16 enacting Chapter 32, the energy development zone overlay; Councilman Hoffman seconded. The council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.

Staff noted that only one other county had completed a similar overlay, and that the next steps include applying the state map and working with the Utah energy commission and state agencies to identify suitable areas and obtain any required approvals.

Ending With the ordinance enacted, the county has created the enabling local regulation that will allow staff and applicants to seek overlay designations and project-specific approvals once the state’s mapping and additional planning steps are complete.