McCracken County, Kentucky solar ordinance
Solar: 150 ft (Level 2 SES) from property lines, 500 ft (Level 2 SES) from homes. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
5 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackLevel 2 SESLevel 2 SES are required to be setback 150 feet from all exterior property lines | 150 ft |
Setback from homesLevel 2 SESand shall not be placed closer than 500 feet to any existing or permitted residential structure intended for human occupancy. | 500 ft |
Fence heightLevel 2 SESA security fence shall surround all Level 2 SES and be at least seven feet tall | 7 ft |
Fence heightLevel 2 SES with three strands of barbed wireor six feet tall with three strands of barbed wire. | 6 ft |
Decommissioning bondLevel 2 SESA performance bond, or other approvable financial surety, payable to McCracken County Fiscal Court sufficient to cover 110% of the net cost of decommissioning of the site by a third party in the event the assigned party defaults on this obligation. | 110% |
Source: McCracken County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Kentucky state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Kentucky rules and counties.
State siting: Kentucky State Board on Electric Generation and Transmission Siting
A merchant plant of 10 MW or more needs a state construction certificate, on top of any local zoning.
KRS 278.700 to 278.718. Source
Solar standards in state law
Default setback for merchant solar of 10 MW or more that the Siting Board certifies; where the county or city has planning and zoning, its own setback, height and decommissioning rules replace these, and elsewhere the board may grant a deviation.
| Residential neighborhoods (5+ acres, 1+ home per acre) | 2,000 ft |
| Schools, hospitals, nursing homes | 2,000 ft |
| Decommissioning | Bond: present value of decommissioning cost, or the local bond amount |
KRS 278.704(2)-(4), 278.706(2)(m) (as amended by 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 152 and ch. 198). Source
Every Kentucky figure in one spreadsheet
92 figures from 15 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and Kentucky state law.
How these figures were read
We found McCracken 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 McCracken County, KY?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 150 ft (Level 2 SES) from property lines and 500 ft (Level 2 SES) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.