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Commission reviews draft consolidated ordinance for solar, storage, data centers and more
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a draft consolidated ordinance that would combine general provisions and create separate sections for solar, battery storage, data centers, nuclear and hydrogen. Staff urged members to submit comments to the clerk; the work will proceed in staged sections and is expected to take up to three years.
A commissioner presented a draft consolidated ordinance on March 24 that would collect general provisions for alternative energy and provide separate, consistently formatted sections for solar energy, battery energy storage systems (BESS), data centers, nuclear and hydrogen.
“Section 1 is just all the general provisions,” the commissioner said, describing a format that places shared rules first and then specific subsections for each energy technology to avoid repeated language. The presenter said the draft removes redundancy and aims to make expectations clearer for applicants and staff.
Commissioners said they liked the outline and suggested iterative work on individual sections; staff asked commissioners to send comments to the clerk (Janelle) so the draft can be updated publicly and discussed at subsequent meetings. The presenter noted technological change is rapid and that the commission has up to three years to complete the work, with an expectation of addressing one major section per year.
Next steps: Commissioners will submit edits and questions to the clerk; staff will integrate changes and repost the draft with future agendas for continued public discussion and formal ordinance drafting.
