Traverse County, Minnesota solar and battery storage ordinance
Solar: 300 ft (non-participating property lines) from property lines, 1,000 ft (non-participating dwellings and occupied structures) from homes, 150 ft (from centerline of a road) from roads. Battery storage: 1,320 ft (non-participating dwellings and occupied structures) from homes, 150 ft (from centerline of a road) from roads, 12 ft maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
12 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbacknon-participating property linesAll USSI boundaries must be set at least 300 feet from non-participating property lines | 300 ft |
Setback from homesnon-participating dwellings and occupied structuresAll USSI Project boundaries must be set at least 1,000 feet from Non-Participating Dwellings and Occupied Structures | 1,000 ft |
Road setbackfrom centerline of a roadFrom centerline of a road a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) feet. | 150 ft |
Road setbackfrom right-of-way lineFrom right-of-way line a minimum of one hundred (100) feet. | 100 ft |
Setback from stream corridors and open ditchesfrom the banks of stream corridors and open ditches with ephemeral flow during the growing seasonAll Project boundaries must be set back at least 300 feet from the banks of stream corridors and open ditches with ephemeral flow during the growing season. | 300 ft |
Setback from lakesordinary high water level of lakes classified as either General Development, Recreational Development, or Natural EnvironmentAll Project boundaries must be set back at least 500 feet from the ordinary high water level of lakes classified as either General Development, Recreational Development, or Natural Environment lakes | 500 ft |
Setback from airportsdistance no less than the area beneath the airports' landing pattern plus 1 mileProjects boundaries shall be kept back a distance no less than the area beneath the airports' landing pattern plus one (1) mile | 1 mile |
Setback from city limitsincorporated cityAll USSI Project boundaries must maintain at least two (2) miles from the city limits of any incorporated city in the County. | 2 miles |
Setback from other projectmeasured from the nearest Project boundaryNo Project shall be located closer than one-half (1/2) mile to any other Project, measured from the nearest Project boundary | 0.5 miles |
Maximum heightGround mounted solar panels and their support structures shall not exceed 16 feet in total height | 16 ft |
Maximum project sizetotal area enclosed by fencingThe total area enclosed by fencing for any Project, whether it is a solar installation, a battery storage system, or a combination of both, shall not exceed 320 acres. | 320 acres |
Noise limitat any point within 50 feet of a non-participating dwelling or non-participating occupied structure45 dBA or 45 dBC at any point within 50 feet of a non-participating dwelling or non-participating occupied structure. | 45 dBA |
Source: Traverse County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Battery storage rules
12 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from homesnon-participating dwellings and occupied structuresAll USBESS Project boundaries must be set at least 1,320 feet from non-participating dwellings and occupied structures | 1,320 ft |
Setback from homesnon-participating dwellingsAll USBESS Project boundaries must be set at least 1,320 feet from non-participating dwellings | 1,320 ft |
Road setbackfrom centerline of a roadFrom centerline of a road a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) feet. | 150 ft |
Road setbackfrom right-of-way lineFrom right-of-way line a minimum of one hundred (100) feet. | 100 ft |
Setback from stream corridors and open ditchesfrom the banks of stream corridors and open ditches with ephemeral flow during the growing seasonAll Project boundaries must be set back at least 300 feet from the banks of stream corridors and open ditches with ephemeral flow during the growing season. | 300 ft |
Setback from lakesordinary high water level of lakes classified as either General Development, Recreational Development, or Natural EnvironmentAll Project boundaries must be set back at least 500 feet from the ordinary high water level of lakes classified as either General Development, Recreational Development, or Natural Environment lakes | 500 ft |
Setback from airportsdistance no less than the area beneath the airports' landing pattern plus 1 mileProjects boundaries shall be kept back a distance no less than the area beneath the airports' landing pattern plus one (1) mile | 1 mile |
Setback from city limitsincorporated cityAll USBESS Project boundaries must maintain at least two (2) miles from the city limits of any incorporated city in the County. | 2 miles |
Setback from other projectmeasured from the nearest Project boundaryNo Project shall be located closer than one-half (1/2) mile to any other Project, measured from the nearest Project boundary | 0.5 miles |
Maximum heightall battery storage units along with their support structures shall not exceed a total height of 12 feet | 12 ft |
Maximum project sizetotal area enclosed by fencingThe total area enclosed by fencing for any Project, whether it is a solar installation, a battery storage system, or a combination of both, shall not exceed 320 acres. | 320 acres |
Noise limitat any point within 50 feet of a non-participating dwelling or non-participating occupied structure45 dBA or 45 dBC at any point within 50 feet of a non-participating dwelling or non-participating occupied structure. | 45 dBA |
Source: Traverse 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
Battery storage standards in state law
Statewide noise limits apply to every noise source, so they bind battery storage 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 Traverse 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 Traverse County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 1,000 ft (non-participating dwellings and occupied structures) from homes, 300 ft (non-participating property lines) from property lines, 150 ft (from centerline of a road) from roads and 100 ft (from right-of-way line) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Traverse County, MN?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 16 ft. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the battery storage setbacks in Traverse County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets battery storage back 1,320 ft (non-participating dwellings and occupied structures) from homes, 1,320 ft (non-participating dwellings) from homes, 150 ft (from centerline of a road) from roads and 100 ft (from right-of-way line) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.