Small Solar Zoning Template Now Available

Ohio law grants regulatory authority to the Ohio Power Siting Board for all major utility facilities, which includes solar projects with a capacity of 50 megawatts (MW) or more. Soon to be enacted legislation (HB 501) gives townships expressed authority to regulate projects under 50 MW.

As of April 6, townships may regulate small solar facilities. (R.C. §519.213) For this purpose, small solar facilities mean “solar panels and associated facilities with a single interconnection to the electrical grid and designed for, or capable of, operation at an aggregate capacity of less than 50 MW.” Specifically, the change to law allows a board of township trustees to regulate the location, erection, construction, reconstruction, change, alteration, maintenance, removal, use, or enlargement of any small solar facility, whether publicly or privately owned, or the use of land for that purpose.

The Ohio Township Association (OTA) has worked with the law firm of Brosius, Johnson, and Griggs LLC to develop sample zoning regulations for solar facilities under 50 MW and land use for that purpose. The Small Solar Zoning Resolution template and Small Solar Sample Information document is now available in the Resource Center.