Carroll County planning staff told commissioners May 1 that the state’s recent Renewable Energy Certainty Act (Senate Bill 931 / House Bill 1036) will require changes to the county zoning code and that staff will take proposed changes to the planning and zoning commission for review.

Planning staff said the law, effective July 1, 2025, requires that solar projects between 1 and 5 megawatts be treated as permitted uses in all zoning districts and sets new statewide minimums for setbacks, fencing, screening and other site-design items for larger projects. The measure also adds a regulatory track for distributed-generation community solar (2 to 5 megawatts) and includes provisions for front-of-meter battery energy storage systems. Brenda Denny, special projects coordinator, joined planning staff for the presentation.

County staff said the state law allows counties to prohibit projects 5 megawatts and larger in certain residential zones and in designated priority-preservation areas if solar coverage exceeds a defined threshold. Staff told the board that writing code changes will focus on three subjects: zoning districts where solar is permitted, the county’s site requirements to the extent state law does not preempt them, and a new local use category and standards for energy storage devices.

Commissioners voted to refer proposed county code changes related to solar energy generation and energy storage to the planning and zoning commission for discussion and recommendations. Commissioner Gordon made the motion and the board approved it by voice vote.

Planning staff noted some items in the new state law that conflict with current local standards — for example, the state sets a 100-foot minimum panel setback where the county had adopted a 400-foot standard with potential reductions — and said the county will seek public hearings and the planning commission’s recommendations before returning to the board with specific text amendments.

County staff also noted potential future statewide guidance from the Department of Natural Resources’ power-plant research program on site-design conditions for community solar and said the county would likely revisit local language after that guidance is available.