Allegany County, Maryland solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 30 ft (minimum all-around setback) from property lines. Wind: 1 × height (IWECS with a height less than 200 feet) from property lines, 2,000 ft from homes. 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 |
|---|---|
Property line setbackminimum all-around setbackC. The minimum all-around setback for the solar energy system is 30 feet or the fire separation distance, whichever is greater. | 30 ft |
Source: Allegany County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
9 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackIWECS with a height less than 200 feet(1) Each individual IWECS with a height less than 200 feet shall observe a minimum setback distance equal to no less than 1.0 times the height of the unit. | 1 × height |
Property line setbackIWECS with a height greater than 200 feet, but less than 300 feet(2) Each individual IWECS with a height greater than 200 feet, but less than 300 feet, shall observe a minimum setback distance equal to no less than 2.0 times the height of the unit. | 2 × height |
Property line setbackIWECS with a height greater than 300 feet(3) Each individual IWECS with a height greater than 300 feet shall observe a minimum setback distance equal to no less than 3.0 times the height of the unit. | 3 × height |
Setback from homes(2) Two thousand feet from any residential structure. | 2,000 ft |
Setback from structure not the property of the applicantstructure includes no less than 600 square feet of occupiable space(1) One thousand feet from any structure not the property of the applicant, provided that the structure includes no less than 600 square feet of occupiable space. | 1,000 ft |
Setback from schools(3) Five thousand feet from all schools. | 5,000 ft |
Setback from site listed on the National Register of Historic Places(4) Five thousand feet from any site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. | 5,000 ft |
Setback from habitats of rare, threatened, or endangered species(5) One thousand feet from the habitats of rare, threatened, or endangered (RTE) species as delineated on the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Heritage Division, Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs) maps. | 1,000 ft |
Decommissioning bondfor each wind energy device to be erected(6) A bond equal to 100% of the above-referenced cost estimate shall be posted by the applicant for each wind energy device to be erected, and no permit shall be issued until such bond is posted. | 100% |
Source: Allegany County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Maryland state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Maryland rules and counties.
State siting: Maryland Public Service Commission
Solar over 2 MW needs a Public Service Commission certificate or approval before construction.
Public Utilities Article 7-207, 7-207.1, 7-207.4, 7-218. Source
Limits on local rules
Counties and towns cannot ban solar of more than 1 MW or deny a site plan that meets the state standards, with some exceptions.
Public Utilities Article 7-218(h) (Renewable Energy Certainty Act, Ch. 624 of 2025). Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies to ground-mounted solar over 1 MW (AC) that sells wholesale, is community solar or is aggregate net metered; the owner must meet these figures, and a county or town may not ban such solar or deny a site plan that meets them. A siting agreement with the county may set looser terms; agrivoltaics are exempt from the figures.
| Homes (non-participating) | 150 ft |
| Property line (non-participating) | 100 ft |
| Fence height | 20 ft max, no barbed wire |
| Public roads | 50 ft (fence from road right-of-way) |
| Panel height (average) | 15 ft average |
| Screening buffer width | 35 ft max |
| Berms | County may not require |
| Decommissioning | Bond up to 125% of cost, with the PSC |
Md. Code, Public Utilities 7-218(b), (f), (g), (h) (Renewable Energy Certainty Act, Ch. 623 of 2025). Source
Every Maryland figure in one spreadsheet
79 figures from 11 counties and 1 town or township, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus Maryland state law.
How these figures were read
We found Allegany 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 Allegany County, MD?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 30 ft (minimum all-around setback) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Allegany County, MD?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 2,000 ft from homes, 1 × height (IWECS with a height less than 200 feet) from property lines, 2 × height (IWECS with a height greater than 200 feet, but less than 300 feet) from property lines and 3 × height (IWECS with a height greater than 300 feet) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.