Thomas County, Nebraska solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 150 ft (no screening required) from property lines, 150 ft (no screening required) from roads, 20 ft (at maximum tilt) maximum height. Wind: 300 ft (from grade to hub) maximum height, 35 dBA (nearest structure occupied by humans) noise limit. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 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 setbackno screening required(2.) Solar farms with panels located at least one hundred fifty (150) feet from an adjacent public road right-of-way, or adjacent property line, shall not require screening. | 150 ft |
Road setbackno screening required(2.) Solar farms with panels located at least one hundred fifty (150) feet from an adjacent public road right-of-way, or adjacent property line, shall not require screening. | 150 ft |
Maximum heightat maximum tilt(1.) The 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: Thomas 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 |
|---|---|
Maximum heightfrom grade to hub(22.) Tower height: Tower height shall not exceed 300’ from grade to hub. | 300 ft |
Noise limitnearest structure occupied by humans(12.) Noise: No Commercial/Utility WECS shall exceed 35 Dba at the nearest structure occupied by humans. | 35 dBA |
Source: Thomas County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 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 Thomas 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 Thomas County, NE?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 150 ft (no screening required) from roads and 150 ft (no screening required) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Thomas 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.