Worcester County, Maryland solar ordinance
Solar: 100 ft (large solar in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 districts) from property lines, 20 acres (large solar in A-1, A-2, I-1, and I-2 districts) minimum lot. 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 setbacklarge solar in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 districtsAll large solar energy systems shall be set back a minimum of one hundred feet from all property lines for sites in the E- 1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 Districts | 100 ft |
Property line setbacklarge solar in A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 districtsand a minimum of fifty feet from all property lines for sites in the A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 Districts. | 50 ft |
Minimum lot sizelarge solar in A-1, A-2, I-1, and I-2 districtsLarge solar energy systems may be located in the A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 Districts with a minimum lot area of twenty acres. | 20 acres |
Minimum lot sizelarge solar in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2, and C-3 districtsSuch systems may also be located in the E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 Districts with a minimum lot area of thirty acres | 30 acres |
Minimum lot sizeutility scale solarA Utility Scale Solar Energy System has a capacity in excess of 2.5 MW and a minimum lot area of 50 acres. | 50 acres |
Source: Worcester 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 Worcester 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 Worcester County, MD?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft (large solar in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 districts) from property lines and 50 ft (large solar in A-1, A-2, I-1 and I-2 districts) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What is the minimum lot size for a solar farm in Worcester County, MD?
The ordinance sets a minimum lot size of 20 acres (large solar in A-1, A-2, I-1, and I-2 districts), 30 acres (large solar in E-1, V-1, C-1, C-2, and C-3 districts) and 50 acres (utility scale solar). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.