Wisconsin solar and wind ordinances by county
3 counties with figures quoted from their own ordinances. Plus the state law that applies.
Updated October 2026
Counties
Solar figures as each county's ordinance states them. Open a county for wind and battery storage rules, conditions, and the sentence each figure comes from.
| County | Rules read | Property line | Homes | Max height | Min lot | Moratorium or ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green County | Solar, Wind | 15 ft | n/a | 35 ftGround or pole mounted solar energy system | n/a | None on file |
| Marathon County | Wind | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| St. Croix County | Solar, Wind | 5 ft | n/a | 35 ft | n/a | None on file |
Every Wisconsin figure in one spreadsheet
34 figures from 5 counties and 2 towns and townships, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 4 of those places are not on this site. Plus Wisconsin state law.
Wisconsin state law
What state law says about local solar, wind and storage rules. Each statement links the law or official source it comes from.
State siting: Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
Projects of 100 MW or more need a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Public Service Commission.
Wis. Stat. 196.491 (PSC solar application filing requirements). Source
Limits on local rules
A local restriction on solar must protect health or safety, not raise cost or cut output much, or allow a comparable alternative.
Wis. Stat. 66.0401(1m) (DOE and Berkeley Lab inventory, June 2024). Source
What local government decides
A town may adopt its own general zoning where its county has none, or with the county's approval where it has.
Wis. Stat. 60.62 (UW-Madison Extension, Types of Zoning). Source
Wind standards in state law
Caps local wind ordinances (a town or county may adopt these figures or looser ones, never stricter), and the PSC weighs the same standards when it reviews projects of 100 MW or more.
| Homes (non-participating) | lesser of 1,250 ft or 3.1 × tip height |
| Schools, churches, community buildings | lesser of 1,250 ft or 3.1 × tip height |
| Property line (non-participating) | 1.1 × tip height |
| Public roads | 1.1 × tip height |
| Noise | 50 dBA day, 45 dBA night |
| Shadow flicker | 30 hours/year |
Wis. Admin. Code PSC 128.10, 128.13, 128.14, 128.15 (effective March 1, 2011); Wis. Stat. 66.0401. Source
Screen sites across Wisconsin
Basepoint checks each parcel against these rules along with grid, land and environmental data, and keeps the source for every figure.