Zoning ordinances are scrambling to address rapid renewable growth.

Zoning ordinances are scrambling to address rapid renewable growth.

NREL’s findings on local ordinances was published in the Nature Energy Journal in an article titled “Impacting of siting Ordinances on Land Availability for Wind and Solar development.”

NREL identifies 1,853 local wind ordinances in effect in 2022. That compares to 286 in 2018. For utility-scale solar the study identified 839 ordinances.

Setbacks ordinances apply to structures, roads, and property lines. For wind noise ordinances come into play. Ordinances can also take into account the well-being of local citizens. This is becoming a larger factor as some research suggests that property values are negatively impacted by the proximity to utility-scale solar.

“The increase in local zoning ordinances is a sign that the renewable energy industry is maturing,” said Anthony Lopez, the lead author of a paper that describes the research. “Ordinances can provide a structured approach to thoughtfully weave clean energy infrastructure into society and our natural environments.”

That is true. However, they also limit the maximum amount of renewable energy that can be developed. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The point is twofold. Renewable energy developers should expect an increasing number of restrictions on their projects. Second, as part of the maturing process, the industry as a whole needs to develop more realistic estimates of what is possible, and not just publish headline grabbing numbers.