Jefferson County, Nebraska solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 20 ft (at maximum tilt) maximum height. Wind: 2 × height (non-participating property owners) from property lines, 1 mile (non-participating property owner) from homes, 1.1 × height (railroad, County road, or State highway) from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
1 figure read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Maximum heightat maximum tiltThe height of the solar collector and any mounts within an established solar farm shall not exceed 20 feet when oriented at maximum tilt. | 20 ft |
Source: Jefferson County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
6 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 ownersa) Two (2) times the height of the total system from any property line of non-participating property owners; | 2 × height |
Setback from homesnon-participating property ownerb) One (1) mile from the turbine to any residence of a non-participating property owner, measured from the nearest exterior wall of the residence to the turbine. | 1 mile |
Road setbackrailroad, County road, or State highwayCWECS shall maintain a minimum setback distance from any railroad, County road, or State highway right-of-way line of at least one and one-tenth (1.1) times the height of the total system. | 1.1 × height |
Setback from incorporated communities, state and Natural Resource District (NRD) recreation areas, schools and churchese) One (1) mile setback from incorporated communities, state and Natural Resource District (NRD) recreation areas, schools and churches. | 1 mile |
Setback from homes, participating ownerparticipating property ownerc) One and one-tenth (1.1) times the height of the total system from any occupied primary residence of a participating property owner, measured from an exterior wall of the occupied primary residence; | 1.1 × height |
Noise limitat any occupied primary residenceNo CWECS shall exceed 50 dBA, measured for ten (10) minutes *Leq*, at any occupied primary residence, measured at an exterior wall of the primary occupied residence structure. | 50 dBA |
Source: Jefferson County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Nebraska state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Nebraska rules and counties.
State siting: Nebraska Power Review Board
New generation needs Power Review Board approval, but privately developed renewable projects are exempt if they file a request with the board before building.
Neb. Rev. Stat. 70-1012, 70-1014.02 (DOE and Berkeley Lab inventory, June 2024). Source
Every Nebraska figure in one spreadsheet
189 figures from 23 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus the 8 moratoria and bans on file and Nebraska state law.
How these figures were read
We found Jefferson 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
How tall can a solar farm be in Jefferson County, NE?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 20 ft (at maximum tilt). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Jefferson County, NE?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 2 × height (non-participating property owners) from property lines, 1 mile (non-participating property owner) from homes and 1.1 × height (railroad, County road, or State highway) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.