The Greene County Supervisors approved a temporary moratorium on utility-scale solar farms.

Prior to approval, a public hearing was held this past Monday during the Supervisors regular meeting. The moratorium would not allow the County Board of Adjustment to issue either an exception or conditional use permit until the moratorium expires, which can either occur at noon on September 26th or if the Board approves a new permitting process and amends the current zoning ordinance for utility-scale solar farms. County Attorney Thomas Laehn said on Monday, the ordinance does not apply to a private individual who installs solar panels to use on-site, only if a utility company sells the power generated for solar panels.

NationalGird Renewables is looking to install a 150 megawatt solar farm, south of Grand Junction, and other companies are inquiring about other projects in the county as well. National Permitting Specialist with NationalGrid Renewables William Risse said they are willing to work with the Supervisors.

“We actually do support today’s moratorium to develop the future adoption of a solar ordinance, within the Greene County ordinance. We realize that today’s ordinance is temporary, as you guys have been discussing, and think that this time will allow for solar development in the future of Greene County. 

Supervisor Chair John Muir said while any utility company can apply to install a solar farm through the Iowa Utilities Board and they have no means to stop it at that point, the moratorium is still important to allow them to establish a solar farm ordinance.

“We have the right, we have the responsibility here to try and set our own standards by which we try and protect everybody’s rights. Which I, as much as anybody, respect the rights of a property owner.” 

The Iowa Legislature is working on a bill to address standards for solar farms, which the Supervisors are hoping either the bill becomes law and/or they can set their own standards. The Board approved the first of three required readings, while waiving the other two readings for the moratorium to take immediate effect.