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JAMESTOWN — The Stutsman County Commission on a 4-1 vote approved proposed amendments to the county zoning ordinance for solar energy conversion facilities that includes a setback distance of 1,320 feet, or a quarter mile, from occupied residences.
Stutsman County Commissioners Mike Hansen, Levi Taylor, Ben Tompkins and Chad Wolsky approved the proposed amendments, while Commissioner Amanda Hastings was opposed at the meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
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The proposed solar energy conversion ordinance had a setback distance of a half mile, or 2,640 feet, from occupied residences.
In related business, the Stutsman County Commission failed on a 1-4 vote to change the setback distance from occupied residences from a half mile to 500 feet. Hastings cast the lone vote to approve the 500-foot setback.
On Feb. 3, the commission tabled the proposed amendments to the county zoning ordinance for solar energy conversion facilities. The commission was waiting for information that it requested from New Leaf Energy, including a sound study for solar farms during the winter months.
New Leaf Energy is working with Fried Township to permit, develop and build a 247-megawatt solar project north of Jamestown. The estimated cost of the Buffalo solar project — a solar farm — is $370 million.
The Buffalo solar project would be located on about 1,600 acres of land north of Jamestown in Fried Township. The 1,600 acres are owned by one landowner.
Construction on the project could start in summer 2028 with completion in summer 2029.
The ordinance requires solar farms to be 100 feet from all property lines. The ordinance requires solar farms to be 165 feet from the center line of any township road, 250 feet from any county, state or federal highway and 100 feet from the high water mark of any lake and streams.
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All setbacks will be measured from the exterior of the fencing and gates.
Taylor said 500 feet was not enough distance for solar energy conversion facilities from occupied residences.
“I’m not so much concerned about the noise component with what you guys are proposing to do as much as what it looks like,” he said, adding that North Dakota has a lot of flat ground.
William Dean, lead project developer for New Leaf Energy, said a half-mile setback is “overly prescriptive” and a “denial” of the solar project.
Taylor said a developer of a solar project would need to apply for a conditional use permit. He also said variances could be secured for residences within a setback distance.
He said it will be easier to see the solar panels from a further distance if they are placed on rolling hills instead of flat areas. He said the solar panels in flat areas would be more difficult to see with vegetative screening such as trees, unless you were on higher elevation.
Dean previously said larger trees that are more dense would be planted about 250 feet from North Dakota Highway 20 and potentially 29th Street Southeast to block the view of the solar panels. The solar farm would have grasses native to the area as well.
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A post-construction noise study of a solar farm located on 1,000 acres in Missouri showed the average sound level in the worst-case proximity was 44.2 decibels over 72 hours, said Ashley Ross, senior environmental planner at Ulteig Engineers representing New Leaf Energy. She said the worst-case proximity site was located about 125 feet from a substation and 35 feet from the nearest solar panel. She said the sound from the entire solar farm ranged from 32-48 decibels.
“All measured levels were actually below commonly used solar noise standards, which I think is typically 65 decibels,” she said.
The noise study on the solar farm in Missouri was the best comparison she could find to North Dakota, Ross said. Temperatures ranged from 14 to 34 degrees.
Dean said the solar panels do not make any noise. He said the inverters positioned in the interior of the site run at 50-60 decibels during the day and drop to 40-45 decibels at night when no active electricity is being generated.
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