Clarke County, Iowa solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 400 acres (entire county) maximum project size. Wind: 700 ft maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
1 figure read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Maximum project sizeentire countyIn addition to the wind energy Clarke county Zoning Board limits commercial solar fields to a max of 400 acres for the entire county | 400 acres |
Source: Clarke County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from city limitsNo WECS within two miles of any city limits. | 2 miles |
Setback from parks and lakesSetback from parks and lakes shall be no closer than 2 miles. | 2 miles |
Maximum heightTotal Height - WECS shall have a total height of less than seven hundred feet | 700 ft |
Fence heightCommercial WECSTo limit climbing access to the tower, a fence six (6) feet in height with a locking portal, or an anti-climbing device may be required around the tower base. | 6 ft |
Source: Clarke County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Iowa state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Iowa rules and counties.
State siting: Iowa Utilities Commission (formerly Iowa Utilities Board)
A plant of 25 MW or more needs a state certificate before construction.
Iowa Code 476A.1(5), 476A.2. Source
Limits on local rules
For plants of 25 MW or more, the state may issue its certificate even if the project does not meet county zoning; no limit was found for smaller projects.
Iowa Code 476A.5(3). Source
Every Iowa figure in one spreadsheet
114 figures from 17 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 3 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 8 moratoria and bans on file and Iowa state law.
How these figures were read
We found Clarke 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.