Gooding County, Idaho solar and wind ordinance
Gooding County has a ban in force since February 3, 2025. It covers large-scale solar (1 MW+ or 5+ acres), large-scale wind and battery storage of 90 kW+. Solar: 500 ft setback from canyon rim. Wind: 0.5 miles setback from canyon rim. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Ban
Large-scale solar (1 MW+ or 5+ acres), large-scale wind and battery storage of 90 kW+
- Adopted
- February 3, 2025
- Runs to
- No end date
- Scope
- Small-scale solar (101 kW to 1 MW) is allowed by special permit in most zones; personal and on-site systems allowed; cities zone for themselves
- Checked
- September 29, 2026
Large-Scale Solar Projects are prohibited in all areas of Gooding County.
Solar rules
1 figure read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from canyon rimSolar systems shall be set back a minimum of 500 feet from the canyon rim. | 500 ft |
Source: Gooding County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
1 figure read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from canyon rimWind turbines shall be set back from the canyon rim a minimum of one-half (1/2) mile. | 0.5 miles |
Source: Gooding County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Idaho state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Idaho rules and counties.
Limits on local rules
For public utilities only, an Idaho Public Utilities Commission order overrides a conflicting local zoning decision; no limit was found for independent developers.
Idaho Code 67-6528. Source
Every Idaho figure in one spreadsheet
10 figures from 3 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus the 2 moratoria and bans on file and Idaho state law.
How these figures were read
We found Gooding 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
Is there a solar, wind and battery storage ban in Gooding County, ID?
Gooding County has a ban in force since February 3, 2025. It covers large-scale solar (1 MW+ or 5+ acres), large-scale wind and battery storage of 90 kW+. Checked against the adopting document on September 29, 2026.