Gage County Planning Commission forwards regulations for solar energy
BEATRICE – The Gage County Planning Commission has forwarded a set of regulations to govern solar energy projects, to the county’s board of supervisors. Lisa Wiegand is the county’s Planning and Zoning Administrator. "They've taken the time to go through and add the classifications with three of them. Their hearing is set for December 6th at five o'clock. So, hopefully this gives the public as well as you as a board of supervisors, time to do your research, as well."
Under the proposed regulations there would be three classes of solar installation….small projects up to 100 kilowatts that could received administrative approval….smaller commercial projects of 101 kilowatts to two megawatts…..and larger commercial solar installations of greater than two megawatts. The commercial projects would be approved by permit.
On the smallest projects, the commission is recommending setbacks from non-participating dwellings of ten feet on the side and 15 feet from the rear of the property line. Setbacks from non-participating property owners for the smaller commercial operations would be one-eighth of a mile and for larger commercial operations, one-quarter of a mile.
The commission also recommends setbacks from churches, schools, NRD property, the Homestead National Historical Park and platted villages or housing subdivisions of a quarter mile to half mile on the commercial projects.
The minimum parcel size for the individual and small commercial projects would be three acres….and 20 acres for the larger commercial solar projects.
Again, the planning commission’s public hearing will be December 6th, at 5 p.m.