McLean County, North Dakota solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 1 mile setback from ordinary high water mark of the missouri river, lake sakakawea, and lake audubon. Wind: 75 ft (nonparticipating landowner) from property lines, 2,500 ft (nonparticipating landowner) from homes, 200 ft (unimproved section line or other public right of way) 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 |
|---|---|
Setback from ordinary high water mark of the Missouri River, Lake Sakakawea, and Lake Audubond. Turbine(s) and any electrical power transmission lines from NDPSC permitted wind or solar facility, turbines, whether they are within the county or intrastate, and whether they were installed for existing energy sources, or new or upgraded energy sources, shall be setback at least one (1) mile | 1 mile |
Source: McLean 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 setbacknonparticipating landownera. Turbine setback from any nonparticipating landowner's property line is one and one half the height of the turbine plus seventy-five (75) feet from the centerline , unless a site specific variance is granted ; | 75 ft |
Setback from homesnonparticipating landownerb. Turbine setback from a nonparticipating landowner's occupied residence is twenty-five (25) hundred (2500) feet , unless a site specific variance is granted ; | 2,500 ft |
Road setbackunimproved section line or other public right of wayc. Turbine setback from an unimproved section line or other public right of way is two hundred (200) feet, and one and one half (1.5) times the height of the turbine plus seventy-five (75) feet from state, county, or township maintained roadways | 200 ft |
Road setbackstate, county, or township maintained roadwaysc. Turbine setback from an unimproved section line or other public right of way is two hundred (200) feet, and one and one half (1.5) times the height of the turbine plus seventy-five (75) feet from state, county, or township maintained roadways | 1.5 × height |
Road setbackstate, county, or township maintained roadwaysc. Turbine setback from an unimproved section line or other public right of way is two hundred (200) feet, and one and one half (1.5) times the height of the turbine plus seventy-five (75) feet from state, county, or township maintained roadways | 75 ft |
Setback from ordinary high water mark of the Missouri River, Lake Sakakawea, and Lake Audubond. Turbine(s) and any electrical power transmission lines from NDPSC permitted wind or solar facility, turbines, whether they are within the county or intrastate, and whether they were installed for existing energy sources, or new or upgraded energy sources, shall be setback at least one (1) mile | 1 mile |
Source: McLean County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
North Dakota state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All North Dakota rules and counties.
State siting: North Dakota Public Service Commission
A PSC certificate of site compatibility is required for wind over 0.5 MW, solar and other generation over 50 MW, and grid storage of 5 MW or more; it does not override county or township zoning, so the project needs both.
NDCC 49-22-03 and 49-22-07 (storage added by HB 1097 (2023)). Source
Wind standards in state law
Applies to wind projects the PSC sites (over 0.5 MW): these areas must be excluded from the site unless the neighbor agrees to a variance; counties and townships may require more.
| Homes (non-participating) | 3 × tip height |
| Property line (non-participating) | 1.1 × tip height |
| Public roads (interstate and state) | 1.1 × tip height from right-of-way |
| Public roads (county and township) | 1.1 × tip height + 75 ft from centerline |
| Railroads | 1.1 × tip height from right-of-way |
| Transmission lines (115 kV and up) | 1.1 × tip height from right-of-way |
| Noise | 45 dBA within 100 ft of a home or community building (owner may waive) |
| ICBM launch facilities | 1,200 ft |
NDCC 49-22-05.1(4); N.D. Admin. Code 69-06-08-01(1), (2), (4) (rule last amended effective Jan 1, 2022). Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies to solar projects the PSC sites (over 50 MW): homes within 500 ft are an avoidance area (usable only if there is no reasonable alternative, and the owner may waive it), and ICBM sites are excluded.
| Homes (inhabited rural residence) | 500 ft (avoidance area; owner may waive) |
| ICBM launch facilities | 1,200 ft |
NDCC 49-22-05.1(3); N.D. Admin. Code 69-06-08-01(1)(f). Source
Wind standards in state law
Applies statewide to every commercial wind facility of 500 kW or more, whether or not the PSC sited it.
| Decommissioning | Start within 12 months, finish within 24 months of abandonment or end of life |
| Decommissioning (removal depth) | Foundations to 4 ft (built on or after July 1, 2017) |
N.D. Admin. Code ch. 69-09-09 (NDCC 49-02-27; effective Oct 1, 2008, amended July 1, 2017). Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies statewide to every commercial solar facility of 500 kW or more, whether or not the PSC sited it.
| Decommissioning | Start within 12 months, finish within 24 months of abandonment or end of life |
| Decommissioning (removal depth) | Piles and foundations to 4 ft; cables to 24 in |
N.D. Admin. Code ch. 69-09-10 (NDCC 49-02-27; effective July 1, 2020). Source
Every North Dakota figure in one spreadsheet
156 figures from 16 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and North Dakota state law.
How these figures were read
We found McLean 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 wind turbine setbacks in McLean County, ND?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 75 ft (nonparticipating landowner) from property lines, 2,500 ft (nonparticipating landowner) from homes, 200 ft (unimproved section line or other public right of way) from roads, 1.5 × height (state, county, or township maintained roadways) from roads and 75 ft (state, county, or township maintained roadways) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.