Le Sueur County, Minnesota solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 750 ft (Large SES) from homes, 100 ft (Large SES) from roads, 20 ft (Ground-mounted systems) maximum height. Wind: 750 ft from homes. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
11 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from homesLarge SESShall be set back seven hundred fifty (750) feet from dwellings. Conversely, all new dwellings shall be set back seven hundred fifty (750) feet from Large SES. | 750 ft |
Road setbackLarge SESShall be set back 100 feet from all road rights-of-way. | 100 ft |
Setback from residential zoning districtsLarge SESShall be set back seven hundred fifty (750) feet from residential zoning districts. Conversely, all new residential zoning districts shall be set back seven hundred fifty (750) feet from all Large SES. | 750 ft |
Setback from Public Conservation Lands/Wildlife Management AreasLarge SESShall be set back seventy-five (75) feet from Public Conservation Lands/Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). | 75 ft |
Setback from sub-surface county drain tileLarge SESShall be set back seventy-five (75) feet from the center of a sub-surface county drain tile. | 75 ft |
Setback from open county ditchesLarge SESShall be set back seventy-five (75) feet from the crown of all open county ditches. | 75 ft |
Setback from Scenic BywayLarge SESShall be set back 5,280 feet (1 mile) from a Scenic Byway. | 1 mile |
Setback from incorporated municipalityLarge SESShall be set back 2-miles from the boundary of an incorporated municipality, unless the written consent of the municipality is first secured. | 2 miles |
Maximum heightGround-mounted systemsGround-mounted systems shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height at maximum design tilt. | 20 ft |
Fence heightLarge SESFences shall consist of seven (7) feet in height of agricultural fence, chain link, or security fence with three (3) strands of barbed wire for a total eight (8) feet in height. | 8 ft |
Maximum project sizemaximum for SESThe intent of this Subdivision is the establishment of regulations to provide for the installation and operation of Solar Energy Systems (SES) up to a maximum of 5 Mega Watts (MW) within Le Sueur County. | 5 MW |
Source: Le Sueur County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 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 |
|---|---|
Setback from homesAll dwellings shall be set back seven hundred fifty (750) feet from a WEC, and conversely all WECS shall be set back seven hundred fifty (750) feet from dwellings. | 750 ft |
Maximum project sizemaximum for WECSThe intent of this Subdivision is the establishment of regulations to provide for the installation and operation of Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) up to a maximum of five (5) Mega Watts (MW) within Le Sueur County. | 5 MW |
Source: Le Sueur County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 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 Le Sueur 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 Le Sueur County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft (Large SES) from roads and 750 ft (Large SES) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Le Sueur County, MN?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 20 ft (Ground-mounted systems). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Le Sueur County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 750 ft from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.