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Commission signals review of solar regulations and considers moratorium on future applications
Summary
The commission agreed to consider placing a moratorium on future solar applications to allow staff and commissioners to review and possibly revise regulations; staff said a moratorium would not affect applications already submitted and a draft could be prepared for the next meeting.
Chairman Brandon and other commissioners said they want to "relook" at the county’s solar regulations after several applications have come forward and indicated they may add a moratorium to the Wednesday agenda to pause future applications while the rules are reviewed.
Sue, a staff member, said staff and commissioners could draft moratorium language and that any moratorium would need clearly defined confines. She and other staff noted that a moratorium would not apply to applications already submitted, consistent with the legal principle cited by a commissioner that case law typically protects pending applications from retroactive moratoria.
Commissioners framed the moratorium as a study tool: "The whole point of a moratorium is to be able to study something," one speaker said. They agreed to place the topic on the next agenda so staff can prepare language and commissioners can consider next steps. No formal moratorium was adopted during the agenda read.
