Delaware County Commissioners start agricultural solar zoning ordinance amendment process again

The Delaware County Commissioners have started the process of amending rules on putting commercial solar panels on the county’s farm ground.  As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, the county has been debating solar projects for at least four years.

Delaware County officials spent nearly two years drafting rules for solar energy projects on agricultural land before approving a zoning ordinance in December 2023.  But with continuing loud coordinated opposition for the projects, commissioners passed a new moratorium in September 2024, then extending it until changes could be made.

Now, they’ve voted on a rewrite of portions of the ordinance.

Republican Commissioner Stephen Brand spearheaded the latest draft of changes, saying he talked with homeowners and the four proposed solar projects.

“Writing an ordinance – a one-size-fits-all – is incredibly difficult when you have such a broad spectrum of idiosyncrasies for each of these projects.”

Brand also says he’s heard “40-to-1” on people opposing the solar projects.

Among the changes are adding rules for battery energy storage portions of the solar installations, further limiting the amount of farm ground that can be used for solar, adding required setbacks if a farmer wants to put personal solar panels on their own land, and a property value guarantee.  Because of changes made during Monday’s meeting, the newest version of the ordinance wasn’t immediately available online.

The property value guarantee concept was proposed for the ordinance debated in 2023, but ultimately removed at the suggestion of a hired consultant who said it was “largely unenforceable” by the county.  Commissioners brought back the idea for properties within half-a-mile of a solar installation.

During public comment, several county residents weren’t impressed with the ongoing process, including Sheryl Swingley.

“I can’t believe we’re still doing this.  We’ve had more than four years to reach some kind of decision about solar.”

Contracts for projects near Gaston and Albany were signed by individual farmers in 2020 and the companies have been waiting out the county’s actions to formally file plans.

Read More: Delaware County Council passes moratorium on solar project tax abatements

The amendments will now go to the Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission, which will hold a public hearing before a vote.

Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host.  Contact her at [email protected].