Clay County, Minnesota solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 100 ft (solar farms) from property lines, 200 ft (dwellings on properties adjacent to the solar energy system) from homes, 15 ft (solar farms) maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
3 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbacksolar farmsi. 100 feet from all Lot Lines. | 100 ft |
Setback from homesdwellings on properties adjacent to the solar energy systemii. 200 feet from Dwellings on properties adjacent to the solar energy system. | 200 ft |
Maximum heightsolar farmsa. Height. Structures in solar farms shall not exceed 15 feet in height when oriented at maximum tilt. | 15 ft |
Source: Clay County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
1 figure read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Noise limitmeasured from the outside of the nearest dwelling, business, school, hospital, religious institution, or other inhabited non-participating structureor shall not exceed 50 dB(A) when measured from the outside of the nearest dwelling, business, school, hospital, religious institution, or other inhabited non-participating structure. | 50 dBA |
Source: Clay County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 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 Clay 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 Clay County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft (solar farms) from property lines and 200 ft (dwellings on properties adjacent to the solar energy system) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Clay County, MN?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 15 ft (solar farms). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.