Wadena County, Minnesota solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 100 ft (Solar Energy Farm) from property lines, 300 ft (Solar Energy Farm, residence not associated) from homes, 100 ft (Solar Energy Farm) from roads. Wind: 1.1 × height (commercial SWECS) from property lines, 1,500 ft (commercial SWECS) from homes, 1.1 × height (commercial SWECS) from roads. 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 Energy Farmi. 100 feet from a property line; | 100 ft |
Setback from homesSolar Energy Farm, residence not associatediii. 300 feet from a residence not associated with the solar energy farm. | 300 ft |
Road setbackSolar Energy Farmii. 100 feet from the centerline of a road; | 100 ft |
Source: Wadena County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackcommercial SWECSMust be able to meet a setback requirement of 1.1 times the highest point of the tower, including the blades, from property lines and from the road right-of-way; | 1.1 × height |
Setback from homescommercial SWECSMust be at least 1500 feet from any residence unless the residence owner is also the tower owner; | 1,500 ft |
Road setbackcommercial SWECSMust be able to meet a setback requirement of 1.1 times the highest point of the tower, including the blades, from property lines and from the road right-of-way; | 1.1 × height |
Decommissioning bondcommercial SWECSAn escrow account equal to 100% of the total cost projected in the Decommissioning Plan, to remove the system and restore the site to its previous use, must be established within 30 days from the start of the construction on the site. | 100% |
Source: Wadena 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 Wadena 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 Wadena County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft (Solar Energy Farm) from property lines, 100 ft (Solar Energy Farm) from roads and 300 ft (Solar Energy Farm, residence not associated) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Wadena County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 1.1 × height (commercial SWECS) from property lines, 1.1 × height (commercial SWECS) from roads and 1,500 ft (commercial SWECS) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.