Fulton County Commissioners extend solar moratorium

Fulton County Commissioners have extended a moratorium on large-scale solar projects through the end of the year.

Fulton County Area Plan Commission Director Heather Redinger had earlier informed commissioners that the county's current moratorium in place was to expire Aug. 1. It was originally enacted to give the plan commission time to evaluate the county's zoning ordinance concerning farm solar operations and gather research ahead of any recommended amendments.

The plan commission remains in the process of receiving information and studying potential amendments to the zoning ordinance and notes the challenges of implementation faced by other communities on the topic of solar operations. 

“We will get it done by the first of the year,” Commissioner Rick Ranstead said of finalizing recommendations for the zoning ordinance. He serves on the area plan commission. 

A resolution in support of extending the moratorium was approved by the plan commission June 24. An accompanying ordinance was then unanimously approved by commissioners July 1. 

Commissioners were praised when initially enacting the moratorium last August. That meeting received a larger turnout than usual by several people expressing how they were negatively impacted by solar developments.  

The moratorium took effect immediately upon passage and is restricted to solar farm operations that are 435,601 square feet or more of solar panel surface area. 

Micro, small, medium and large arrays are not affected.