The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has recently conducted groundbreaking research revealing a significant increase in the number of local zoning ordinances governing the deployment of renewable energy in the United States. These ordinances play a crucial role in determining the amount of land available for renewable energy projects and have a direct impact on the nation’s ability to decarbonize its energy system.

Lead author Anthony Lopez highlights the essential role of setback ordinances, which determine the required distance between specific features, such as houses, and renewable energy installations. These setback ordinances directly influence the land available for deployment and the extent of wind and solar resources that can be harnessed to accelerate the transition to clean energy.

Traditionally, setback ordinances and their impact have not been comprehensively captured in large-scale resource assessments due to the need for highly detailed modeling and hyper-local data. As a result, previous evaluations may have overestimated the land available for renewables, consequently underestimating the associated costs and challenges of achieving high levels of deployment.

The implementation of zoning ordinances is crucial in determining how and where developers can site and deploy wind and solar projects. These ordinances not only safeguard natural habitats and species but also ensure efficient and sustainable use of land resources. In many regions across the U.S., the enactment of zoning ordinances at the county and township level is a prerequisite for constructing large-scale renewable energy facilities on private land.

The NREL study uncovered a substantial increase in local wind ordinances, rising from 286 in 2018 to 1,853 in 2022. The most prevalent types of ordinances were related to setbacks from structures, roads, and property lines, as well as noise levels and wind turbine heights. Additionally, the study conducted a first-of-its-kind survey that identified 839 ordinances related to the development of utility-scale solar projects in 2022.

It is worth noting that setback distances outlined in zoning ordinances vary significantly across jurisdictions. While setback distances for wind turbines are typically determined by a multiplier of the turbine’s total height, solar setbacks are often defined as fixed distances. The research revealed that, under the strictest setback scenario, wind and solar resources could be reduced by up to 87% and 38% respectively, compared to a baseline scenario without setback ordinances.

The study emphasizes that local land use and community considerations hold immense importance in the decarbonization efforts of the United States. Thus, accurate modeling and analysis should truly reflect the impact of renewable energy development on communities, enabling the development of ordinances that effectively regulate the real impacts while facilitating renewable energy deployment and its associated benefits.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this research report is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial or investment advice. The energy market is highly volatile, and readers should conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions.