IOWA (KTTC) – Cerro Gordo County has filed a lawsuit calling on the judicial branch to stop approval of a more than 2000-acre solar farm project.
The county filed in Polk County District Court against the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC), oversees utilities regulations and approved the project. It focuses on a “certificate of Public convenience, Use, and Necessity” issued to River City Energy, which is attempting to build a 500-megawatt solar facility.
River City Energy is a project proposed by Ranger Power.
According to the court filing, River City filed an application in May 2025 for a generating certificate. In its application, River City argued county zoning regulations “constituted a ‘de facto moratorium’ and a ‘ban’ on utility-scale solar facilities.” It went on to say it would be “an impossibility” to obtain a zoning permit. It argued the IUC should not include compliance with zoning permits as a prerequisite for the certificate.
In April 2026, the IUC issued the generating certificate without the need to comply with zoning permits.
In the recent court filing, the county says its zoning regulations encourage “small-scale” solar projects, but regulates larger projects set to be built on “prime agricultural land”, which it argues River City would be.
The county also states River City “never applied for a zoning permit from the County prior to filing its application for a generating certificate”. It also said the county did not deny a zoning permit to the project.
Cerro Gordo is asking a judge to reverse the IUC’s decision on two grounds. First, it says the IUC misapplied Iowa Code. The county argues the commission applied a 1998 rule, instead of state law, which conflicts the 1998 ruling. Second, it argues the county broke its practice of requiring companies to obtain local zoning permits.
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