Lincoln County, Washington solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 60 ft from property lines, 20 ft maximum height. Wind: 1 × height (nonparticipating landowner) from property lines, 1,650 ft (whichever is greater) from homes, 1 × height (county roads) from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
2 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackSetbacks for solar energy facilities shall meet a minimum setback of 60-feet from all property lines. | 60 ft |
Maximum heightMaximum structure height for the solar array shall be 20-feet as measured from the highest existing native grade below each panel. | 20 ft |
Source: Lincoln 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 landownerThere shall be a minimum distance of one-times (1X) the height of the wind turbine generator plus one-hundred feet from the property line of any nonparticipating landowner . | 1 × height |
Setback from homeswhichever is greaterSetbacks from existing residential structures shall be a minimum of one thousand six-hundred fifty feet or four-times (4X) the total extended height of the wind turbine, whichever is greater. | 1,650 ft |
Setback from homeswhichever is greaterSetbacks from existing residential structures shall be a minimum of one thousand six-hundred fifty feet or four-times (4X) the total extended height of the wind turbine, whichever is greater. | 4 × height |
Setback from homesnon-waivable setback to residencesThere shall be a non-waivable setback to residences of one-times (1X) tower height plus one-hundred feet. | 1 × height |
Road setbackcounty roadsSetbacks from the rights-of-way of all county roads shall be the minimum distance of one-times (1X) the height of the wind turbine generator plus one-hundred feet . | 1 × height |
Setback from boundaries of incorporated communitiesThere shall be a minimum setback distance of four-times (4X) the height of a turbine from the boundaries of incorporated communities. | 4 × height |
Source: Lincoln County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Washington state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Washington rules and counties.
State siting: Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC)
Wind, solar and other alternative energy projects of any size, and storage facilities, may opt in to state certification by EFSEC instead of local permits; projects that do not opt in are permitted by the county.
RCW 80.50.060(1)(b) (as amended through 2026 c 244). Source
Limits on local rules
On the state route, the council can set aside local laws.
RCW 80.50.090, 80.50.100 (DOE and Berkeley Lab inventory, June 2024). Source
Wind standards in state law
Applies to projects EFSEC certifies, which must meet the state's environmental noise limits (set by land class: an industrial or farm source may reach 60 dBA at homes by day and 50 dBA at night); the same Ecology limits apply statewide to any noise source.
| Noise | 60 dBA day, 50 dBA night (10 pm to 7 am) at homes from an industrial or farm-land source |
WAC 463-62-030 (amended WSR 25-12-020, effective June 22, 2025), adopting WAC 173-60-040. Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies to projects EFSEC certifies, which must meet the state's environmental noise limits (set by land class: an industrial or farm source may reach 60 dBA at homes by day and 50 dBA at night); the same Ecology limits apply statewide to any noise source.
| Noise | 60 dBA day, 50 dBA night (10 pm to 7 am) at homes from an industrial or farm-land source |
WAC 463-62-030 (amended WSR 25-12-020, effective June 22, 2025), adopting WAC 173-60-040. Source
Every Washington figure in one spreadsheet
29 figures from 5 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and Washington state law.
How these figures were read
We found Lincoln 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 Lincoln County, WA?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 60 ft from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Lincoln County, WA?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 20 ft. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Lincoln County, WA?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 1,650 ft (whichever is greater) from homes, 4 × height (whichever is greater) from homes, 1 × height (non-waivable setback to residences) from homes, 1 × height (nonparticipating landowner) from property lines and 1 × height (county roads) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.