Riverside County, California solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 10 ft (W-E Zone) from property lines, 10 acres (Solar power plant) minimum lot. Wind: 400 ft (Commercial WECS in W-1 zone) maximum height, 60 dBA (Commercial WECS operations) noise limit. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 29, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
2 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackW-E Zone5. No solar power plants shall be closer than 10 feet from any lot line. | 10 ft |
Minimum lot sizeSolar power plant19. Solar power plants on a lot 10 acres or larger. | 10 acres |
Source: Riverside County ordinance (PDF), read September 29, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
3 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Maximum heightCommercial WECS in W-1 zoneNo commercial WECS shall exceed four hundred (400') feet in height. | 400 ft |
Maximum heightCommercial WECS in W-E zone1. No commercial WECS shall exceed 500 feet in height. | 500 ft |
Noise limitCommercial WECS operations1) Unless the conditions of approval provide a more restrictive standard, a commercial WECS or WECS array shall not be operated so that noise is created exceeding 60 dB(A) | 60 dBA |
Source: Riverside County ordinance (PDF), read September 29, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
California state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All California rules and counties.
State siting: California Energy Commission (Opt-In Certification Program)
A developer of solar or wind of 50 MW or more, or storage of 200 MWh or more, may choose state certification from the Energy Commission instead of county permits, applying by June 30, 2030; otherwise county rules apply.
Pub. Resources Code 25545, 25545.1 (AB 205, 2022). Source
Limits on local rules
If the developer opts in, the state certificate replaces local permits and overrides local ordinances; otherwise county rules apply.
Pub. Resources Code 25545.1(b). Source
Every California figure in one spreadsheet
33 figures from 9 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 5 of those places are not on this site. Plus California state law.
How these figures were read
We found Riverside County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Riverside County, CA?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 10 ft (W-E Zone) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What is the minimum lot size for a solar farm in Riverside County, CA?
The ordinance sets a minimum lot size of 10 acres (Solar power plant). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.