Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solar Siting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission reviews draft solar rules and a proposed 5,000-acre countywide cap
Summary
Kimley Horn presented options to differentiate community-scale (under 20 acres) and utility-scale solar, suggested mapping suitable areas and financial/road-use tools for large projects, and commissioners discussed a draft cap of 5,000 acres countywide and priorities such as agricultural protection and emergency response.
Kimley Horn consultants Rachel Granrath and Talon Smith presented a peer-comparison review and recommended clarifying facility typologies, agricultural-impact mitigation, decommissioning, and infrastructure protections for solar in Whitman County.
Granrath described the typology used in the draft: "Community scale solar is less than 20 acres," intended to serve local users (schools, towns, rooftop/ground-mounted community projects), while utility-scale solar is larger than 20 acres and typically the principal use on a site. The consultants showed mapping from federal Inflation Reduction Act resources indicating potential incentive zones and suggested an overlay to identify sites with grid access, favorable soils, and lower agricultural value.
Among policy options the consultants recommended were conditional use permits or development agreements for large projects to memorialize decommissioning, road-use obligations, and long-term maintenance; monitoring and reporting requirements covering vegetation, weeds, operational stormwater, and erosion; visual-simulation requirements for highly visible sites; and emergency-response coordination.
Commission discussion focused on whether to separate community and utility scales, where small community systems should be handled (cities or the county), and a draft cap in the current ordinance language that would limit solar to 5,000 acres countywide. Commissioners emphasized emergency response, agricultural land protections, and the need for site visits to operational facilities to better inform standards.
