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Sweetwater County certifies changes to wind and solar conditional-use rules
Summary
The commission certified amendments to the county’s 2015 zoning resolution to add wildlife protections, MET-tower permitting and reclamation requirements for wind and solar projects; the certification passed unanimously.
The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 16 certified language amendments to the county’s 2015 Zoning Resolution that add or clarify rules for solar energy facilities and wind energy conversion systems.
Land use director Eric Bingham said the amendments harmonize inconsistent wildlife protections between wind and solar sections, add coordination requirements with Wyoming Game and Fish and the governor’s sage-grouse executive order, and incorporate standards for MET (meteorological) towers including permitting, reclamation and abandonment requirements. Bingham said the changes respond to issues raised during previous projects, including impacts to migration corridors, and that developers who reviewed the draft had not submitted comments.
Commissioners voted to certify Resolution 25-12-CC-01, which will advance the amendments through the county adoption process. The board recorded no public testimony against the changes during the hearing and the certification passed unanimously.
The land use office will proceed with the required post-certification actions; any future development proposals for wind or solar generation will be evaluated under the amended conditional-use standards.
