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Residents and developers press Emery County for more time to review solar rules; commission schedules more hearings
Summary
A Doral representative opposed a moratorium on utility-scale solar while a resident urged a temporary land-use review pause (TLUR) to fix gaps in zoning that, he said, favor outside developers; commissioners said more public hearings and information from utilities are needed before decisions.
At an Emery County Commission meeting in February 2026, competing views emerged over whether the county should pause permitting to review rules for large-scale solar projects.
Whitney Rubin, representing developer Doral, introduced the company and showed a decommissioning example, saying the firm's project is in the interconnection queue and asking that the county not adopt a moratorium. "I'd like to ask that if any discussions continue on that, that we'd be involved," Rubin said, urging procedural inclusion if code changes are pursued.
In public comment, Derry Jukes urged the commission to adopt a temporary land-use review (TLUR) pause to examine zoning gaps that he said allow outside developers to secure long-term land uses quickly and without adequate input from neighbors. "A temporary pause to review the rules isn't a ban," Jukes said, arguing a pause would give residents time to consider the long-term consequences of large projects.
Commissioners acknowledged competing priorities: they must balance economic development and property rights with protecting neighbors and preserving local input. Commissioners said they would hold additional public hearings, seek examples from other counties (including Sevier County), and request more information from utilities such as Rocky Mountain Power before acting. No moratorium or formal code change was adopted at the meeting; commissioners described the next step as further public engagement and data collection.
