Chisago County, Minnesota solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 75 ft from property lines, 275 ft from homes, 135 ft (first commercial solar energy system on any single parcel) from roads. Wind: 199 ft maximum height, 5 acres minimum lot. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 29, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
8 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackSeventy-five (75) feet from all non-right of way property lines | 75 ft |
Setback from homesor two hundred seventy-five (275) feet from any dwelling whichever is greater. | 275 ft |
Road setbackfirst commercial solar energy system on any single parcelOne hundred thirty-five (135) feet from the centerline of State and County Roads for the first commercial solar energy system on any single parcel | 135 ft |
Road setbackadditional commercial solar energy system on the same parcelseven hundred thirty-five (735) feet from the centerline of State and County Roads for any additional commercial solar energy system on the same parcel. | 735 ft |
Road setbackall other public roadsOne hundred thirty-five (135) feet from centerline of all other public roads. | 135 ft |
Setback from wildlife habitat, wildlife management areas or National Wild and Scenic landCommercial Solar Energy SystemsWithin six hundred (600) feet of areas designated or formally protected from development by the Federal, State or County agencies as wildlife habitat, wildlife management areas or designated as National Wild and Scenic land or corridor; | 600 ft |
Minimum lot sizeCommercial Solar Energy SystemsCommercial solar energy systems shall be located on parcels of land no less than five (5) acres in size. | 5 acres |
Decommissioning bondFinancial surety in an amount equal to or greater than one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of the resulting County staff approved surety is required | 125% |
Source: Chisago County ordinance (PDF), read September 29, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
2 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Maximum heightWECS shall have a total height of one hundred ninety-nine (199) feet or less. | 199 ft |
Minimum lot sizeOnly one (1) wind turbine is allowed per parcel, with a minimum lot area of five (5) acres. | 5 acres |
Source: Chisago County ordinance (PDF), read September 29, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Minnesota state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Minnesota rules and counties.
State siting: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
A state site permit is needed for solar of 50 MW or more, wind of 5 MW or more and storage of 10 MW or more; the developer may instead seek local approval for solar under 80 MW, wind under 25 MW and any storage.
Minn. Stat. 216I.02 subd. 6, 11, 17, 18; 216I.08; 216I.10 (2024 permitting reform). Source
Limits on local rules
A state site permit overrides county and town zoning for projects of 50 MW or more; no limit was found for smaller projects.
Minn. Stat. 216I.18. Source
Solar standards in state law
Statewide noise limits apply to every noise source, so they bind solar arrays whether the state or a county permits it; no statewide setback figures were found.
| Noise | 50 dBA L50 night, 60 dBA L50 day (residential) |
Minn. R. 7030.0040. Source
Wind standards in state law
Statewide noise limits apply to every noise source, so they bind wind turbines whether the state or a county permits it; no statewide setback figures were found.
| Noise | 50 dBA L50 night, 60 dBA L50 day (residential) |
Minn. R. 7030.0040. Source
Every Minnesota figure in one spreadsheet
158 figures from 30 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 10 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 2 moratoria and bans on file and Minnesota state law.
How these figures were read
We found Chisago 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 Chisago County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 75 ft from property lines, 275 ft from homes, 135 ft (first commercial solar energy system on any single parcel) from roads, 735 ft (additional commercial solar energy system on the same parcel) from roads and 135 ft (all other public roads) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What is the minimum lot size for a solar farm in Chisago County, MN?
The ordinance sets a minimum lot size of 5 acres (Commercial Solar Energy Systems). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.