(Bannock County Newsletter, February 13, 2024)
What’s Happening with Solar Farms in Bannock County?
by: Emma Iannacone, Bannock County Public Information Officer
If you haven’t heard, solar ‘farms’ are a big topic in Bannock County right now.
The Bannock County Commissioners just held a public meeting in Arimo about this topic, and more than 200 people showed up. Even more impressive, 51 people braved the microphone to publicly share their opinions. This is a great example of the people getting involved in their local government! (Woohoo!)
So why is solar suddenly such a hot topic in our area?
Here’s some background:
Some solar energy companies are interested in Bannock County as a potential home for large-scale energy projects. While this is very flattering (we do live in a pretty great place), this poses some complications – and potential risks – for our residents.
That’s because Bannock County does not currently have an ordinance to regulate these solar energy projects. So, to give us some time to create one, the Board of Commissioners enacted a 180-day moratorium on any permits for large-scale energy projects on Oct. 12, 2023. That moratorium will last until April 9, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Bannock County Planning & Development staff are writing an ordinance to address several concerns, including:
- Environmental impacts of a large-scale solar energy project, including wildlife migratory patterns, groundwater impacts, and fire fuel mitigation.
- Rules for decommissioning a large-scale solar energy project to ensure the land is returned to its previous state.
- Zoning requirements for a large-scale solar energy project to protect the character of our communities, specifically agriculturally-zoned land, and the quality of life of our residents.
The Marsh Valley is the apple of these solar companies’ eye right now – in fact, we’ve heard of a company going door-to-door to ask people to lease their land to put solar panels on.
Since this community would be most impacted by a project like this, we held a public meeting on February 5th to give people a chance to weigh in. You can watch that (2-hour) meeting here: WATCH
Next, the Board of Commissioners will discuss the findings from that meeting and deliberate what direction they want the ordinance to go in. That will happen during their work session on February 15th. Depending on how that conversation goes, a public hearing may be set for a final opportunity for public input and a chance for the Commissioners to officially vote on the ordinance.
You’re all caught up now, but you can get even more information if you visit bannockcounty.gov/solar. I’m going to keep updating that page as the process unfolds, so keep checking that page and follow us on Facebook!
Solar Ordinance | Bannock County
