Planning Commission Reviews Draft Energy and Solar Regulations, Eyes Shorter Review Cycles and Cadmium Containment

The Saline County Planning Commission spent much of its June 23 meeting reviewing draft regulations governing energy and data systems, including solar facilities, as part of ongoing work on its zoning code.

Commissioners discussed reducing the interval for facility reviews from five years to three years, and adding a provision allowing earlier reviews if complaints or incidents occur. "A lot of water could go under the bridge in 5 years," one commissioner said. Another said any complaint should be looked into, and the group agreed to add language permitting reviews earlier than three years when warranted.

Discussion also touched on lighting standards modeled after the City of Tucson's dark skies lighting rules, with proposals to regulate the angle of lighting, lux levels, and color temperature for outdoor lighting at night rather than relying on height restrictions alone.

For solar specifically, commissioners raised concerns about cadmium, a chemical used in some solar panels. A commissioner said that when panels are destroyed by hail, cadmium can be released and damage soil for up to 300 years, citing an incident in Ohio. Staff agreed to add a placeholder requiring containment of cadmium.

Commissioners also debated farmland protection language that would limit solar installations on class one and class two soils. One commissioner noted that areas near Mentor and other communities consist largely of higher-class soils, potentially limiting where facilities could be sited, while others said the provision was tailored toward grassland and that conditional use permits could override the restriction. The group discussed whether agrivoltaic designs should be required or merely encouraged.

The commission also revisited size limitations for solar facilities, with members recalling earlier discussions and noting it would be a challenge to assemble a contiguous 640-acre tract within the county. Staff will forward updated materials for further review at next month's meeting.