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Halifax County amends solar ordinance, rescinds local decommissioning rules; 1‑mile separation proposal rejected
Summary
After a lengthy legislative hearing with more than 20 public speakers, the Halifax County Board of Commissioners adopted an amended solar energy systems ordinance that removes local decommissioning rules in favor of new state standards and rejects a proposed 1-mile separation requirement between large solar facilities.
The Halifax County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 17 voted 4–1 to adopt amendments to the county’s solar energy systems ordinance that rescind local decommissioning rules in favor of recently enacted North Carolina statutes and rules, and that decline to impose a one-mile separation requirement between large solar facilities.
The board held an extended legislative hearing in which more than 20 residents, municipal officials and industry representatives spoke for and against proposed changes. Speakers for local government and clean-energy advocates urged the board to avoid an expansive one‑mile exclusion zone because it would limit opportunities for municipal self-generation projects and local economic development. Landowners, farmers, and several residents urged stricter limits and buffers, saying large solar fields consume farmland, disrupt wildlife corridors and create construction‑period traffic and noise.
Planning director Chris Rountree and County Attorney Rollins summarized staff recommendations and two draft ordinances provided to the board: (A) a draft that removes the proposed one‑mile separation requirement while incorporating other updates and rescinding local decommissioning provisions in favor of state law, and (B) a draft that retained all staff-proposed amendments including the one‑mile restriction. The Halifax County Planning Board had recommended that the commission not adopt the one‑mile restriction.
Attorney Rollins and planning staff told the board the state has recently adopted statutes and administrative rules addressing decommissioning and financial assurance for utility‑scale solar, and staff recommended Halifax County rely on those state requirements rather than maintain a duplicate local decommissioning regime. The board’s adopted ordinance rescinds the county’s local decommissioning rules and requires compliance with relevant North Carolina statutes and administrative code provisions for decommissioning and financial assurance. The adopted amendment also keeps local setback standards and other zoning provisions described in the ordinance packet.
During the hearing, municipal and nonprofit representatives, including a delegation from the town of Enfield and attorneys from the Southern Environmental Law Center, said responsible local solar development could lower energy bills, support municipal microgrids and create construction jobs and tax revenue. Several solar developers said they use vegetation buffers, pollinator plantings and grazing (sheep) to manage sites and can add conditions to special use permits.
Opponents from farming and forestry communities raised concerns about loss of productive farmland, impacts on wildlife corridors, property‑value questions for adjacent parcels, and whether solar projects bring sustained local employment. Several speakers asked the county to require additional environmental studies and stronger construction‑period controls for noise and truck traffic.
After deliberation the board voted to adopt the draft ordinance that omitted the one‑mile separation requirement and rescinded local decommissioning rules; the motion passed 4–1, with Commissioner Merritt recorded as voting against the motion. County staff said the moratorium that had been in place while staff drafted amendments will end as a result of the ordinance adoption.
