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Emery County approves general plan update while public pushes for a 180‑day pause on utility-scale solar
Summary
After hours of public comment demanding tighter rules for solar and battery projects, the Emery County Commission approved an updated general plan Jan. 20 and agreed to return with targeted amendments addressing zoning, conditional-use limits, reclamation and fire risk.
The Emery County Commission voted Jan. 20 to approve an updated county general plan and to pursue amendments addressing concerns raised by residents about large-scale solar and battery projects.
During a lengthy public hearing, residents and local stakeholders urged the commission to adopt a temporary land-use regulation (TLUR) — a 180-day pause on new utility-scale solar and battery conditional-use permits — so the county could write permanent standards for siting, reclamation and emergency response. Derry Jukes, who identified himself as a long-time local and organizer of the community group objecting to current rules, told commissioners conditional-use permits had been used to allow ‘‘massive footprints’’ that effectively function like rezoning and…
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