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Planning Commission advances solar ordinance language, adopts decommissioning and trust-fund rules and sets acreage caps
Summary
Commission adopted multiple definitions for a draft solar ordinance, moved wind-code commercial-operations language into solar language, adopted decommissioning/site-restoration language and an irrevocable standby trust requirement for financial assurance, and set a single-facility Utility-Scale cap at 500 acres with a countywide 5,000-acre cap.
The Whitman County Planning Commission used its July 1 workshop to align the draft solar ordinance with the county's existing wind ordinance where appropriate and to add new definitions and financial-assurance language. After staff presented proposed wording, commissioners voted to adopt a set of definitions (applicant, project site, site preparation, site restoration, micrositing, participating/non-participating landowner) and to replace ambiguous wording across the draft.
On decommissioning, the Commission moved to replace the solar-code paragraph with the wind-code wording that requires a decommissioning and site restoration plan, removal of facility infrastructure, proper disposal or recycling of materials and site restoration in accordance with approved plans. Commissioners also adopted an 'irrevocable standby trust fund' definition and agreed that a surety bond or similar financial instrument must be available to guarantee decommissioning obligations. Finally, commissioners confirmed policy limits: the county will cap Utility-Scale solar acreage at 5,000 acres total and set a single-facility maximum footprint of 500 acres; staff will seek legal review on some ownership/operator wording before finalizing the ordinance.
