Kent County, Maryland solar ordinance
Solar: 200 ft (utility-scale) from property lines, 200 ft (utility-scale) from roads, 38 ft (utility scale on farms) maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar 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 setbackutility-scale1. 200 feet from any lot line | 200 ft |
Road setbackutility-scale2. 200 feet from any road/and or right-of way | 200 ft |
Road setbackwithin 1/2 mile of a town or village boundary3. 200 feet from any road/right-of-way within ½ mile of a town or village boundary that is the gateway into a town or village | 200 ft |
Setback from residential use or zoning districtutility-scale4. 200 feet from any residential use or zoning district | 200 ft |
Maximum heightutility scale on farmsd. Solar collection devices shall not exceed 38 feet in height. | 38 ft |
Maximum heightutility scale in CC, C, and CCAd. Solar collection devices shall not exceed 45 feet in height | 45 ft |
Maximum heightutility scale in Employment Center Districtd. Solar collection devices shall not exceed 45 feet in height. | 45 ft |
Maximum project sizeutility scale on farmsj. The area of solar panel arrays may not exceed 5 acres. | 5 acres |
Noise limitutility-scale7. Noise generated by the facility shall be limited by the project design to 45 dBAs measured at the property line | 45 dBA |
Source: Kent 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 Kent 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 Kent County, MD?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 200 ft (utility-scale) from property lines, 200 ft (utility-scale) from roads and 200 ft (within 1/2 mile of a town or village boundary) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Kent County, MD?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 38 ft (utility scale on farms), 45 ft (utility scale in CC, C, and CCA) and 45 ft (utility scale in Employment Center District). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.