Polk County, Minnesota solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 100 ft (Solar Farm) from property lines, 300 ft (Solar Farm, not associated with Solar Farm) from homes, 100 ft (Solar Farm) from roads. Wind: 1.1 × height (Commercial WECS) from property lines, 1.1 × height (Commercial WECS) from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 7, 2026.
Updated October 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 FarmA. Property Line Setback: 100 Feet | 100 ft |
Setback from homesSolar Farm, not associated with Solar FarmC. Setback from nearest Residential Dwelling not associated with Solar Farm: 300 Feet | 300 ft |
Road setbackSolar FarmB. Road Right of Way Setback: 100 Feet | 100 ft |
Source: Polk County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 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 |
|---|---|
Property line setbackCommercial WECSProperty lines: 1.1 times the total height | 1.1 × height |
Road setbackCommercial WECSRoad Rights-of-Way: 1.1 times the total height | 1.1 × height |
Source: Polk County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 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 Polk 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 Polk County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft (Solar Farm) from property lines, 100 ft (Solar Farm) from roads and 300 ft (Solar Farm, not associated with Solar Farm) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Polk County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 1.1 × height (Commercial WECS) from property lines and 1.1 × height (Commercial WECS) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.