Ordinance data

Solar and wind ordinances by county

Setbacks, height limits, lot sizes and noise rules for 335 US counties: 2,471 figures, each quoted from the county's own ordinance. Plus 110 moratoria and bans, each checked against its adopting document.

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Updated October 2026

Moratoria and bans

78 moratoria and bans in forceCounty, town and township pauses and bans on solar and wind, with end dates and the adopting document.

By state

Arizona4 countiesArkansasMoratoria on recordCalifornia4 countiesColorado11 counties, 2 in forceFlorida6 countiesGeorgia22 counties, 3 in forceIdaho2 counties, 2 in forceIllinois20 countiesIndiana28 counties, 1 in forceIowa14 counties, 4 in forceKansas11 counties, 7 in forceKentucky14 counties, 1 in forceLouisiana7 counties, 1 in forceMaryland11 countiesMassachusettsMoratoria on recordMichigan12 counties, 2 in forceMinnesota20 counties, 1 in forceMississippi1 countyMontana3 countiesNebraska22 counties, 4 in forceNevada3 countiesNew York11 in forceNorth Carolina30 counties, 3 in forceNorth Dakota15 countiesOhio3 counties, 32 in forceOregon7 countiesSouth Carolina3 countiesSouth Dakota15 counties, 1 in forceTennessee5 counties, 1 in forceUtah1 county, 2 in forceVirginia27 countiesWashington5 countiesWisconsin3 countiesWyoming6 counties

How these figures were read

  1. We find the county's own zoning or energy ordinance: the PDF or code page the county publishes.
  2. Two AI models read it separately. A figure is kept only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from is found in the document. That sentence is shown next to every figure.
  3. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting resolution or ordinance and kept only if its quote is found there, with the date of each check.
  4. State siting law and state standards are kept only where the quoted statement was found on the cited source.

Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.

Common questions

What is a solar setback?

A setback is the minimum distance a solar array, wind turbine or battery yard must keep from something: a property line, a home, a road, a stream. Counties usually set different distances for neighbours who are not part of the project and for landowners who are.

What is a solar moratorium?

A moratorium is a pause, usually 6 to 12 months, on accepting or approving applications while a county or town writes or rewrites its rules. A ban prohibits the use outright. Both stop new projects while they are in force.

How current are these figures?

Each county page shows the date its ordinance was read and the date each moratorium was last checked. Ordinances change, so check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.

Why is my county not listed?

A county appears once we have read at least three figures from its own ordinance, or have a moratorium or ban checked against its source. Many counties leave rural land unzoned, rely on state rules, or publish their code in places we cannot read. The Basepoint app covers more jurisdictions, including towns and townships.

Check a site against its local rules

Basepoint finds the rules on file for a parcel, applies the setbacks to its buildable area, and keeps the source for every figure.

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