Bluff seeks public input on renewable-energy ordinance; commenters urge soil protections and limits on industrial-scale projects

Planning & Zoning presented a draft renewable-energy ordinance Oct. 28 intended to set parameters for rooftop and ground-mounted solar, small wind and geothermal installations, and to clarify when conditional-use review would apply to projects of different sizes.

Staff said the draft was developed with input from SolSmart and aims to allow homeowners and businesses to install small renewable systems while creating standards for larger ground-mounted utility-scale projects, including siting guidance, slope and soil considerations and conditional-use review for larger installations.

Josh Ewing, who said he works in clean energy, praised the draft and offered several substantive recommendations: add language requiring minimal soil disturbance to protect agricultural lands and grazing ground from irreversible scraping; exempt very small systems — he cited "HP 3 40 this last year passed, and it exempts, solar underneath of 1,200 watts from needing to have a connection with Rocky Mountain Power" — so installations under that threshold would not require a building permit; and clarify that the town does not intend to encourage industrial-scale solar development on federal Bears Ears National Monument lands in the event those lands change jurisdictional status.

Commissioners asked for specific feedback on chart thresholds, conditional-use examples and places where the ordinance could be simplified for small personal systems (for example small solar panels for attic fans or tiny wind station sensors).

No ordinance adoption vote was taken at the hearing; the draft remains in public review and written comments are due by 5 p.m. Nov. 7, 2025 (office@townofbluffutah.gov).