March 24, 2022
Pennsylvania

North Lebanon Township places restrictions on new solar & wind farms

By Emily Bixler | LebTown | lebtown.com

The North Lebanon Township Board of Supervisors met Monday to discuss solar and wind energy, paving project bids, and other business.

Solar and wind farm ordinances

Supervisors unanimously approved Ordinance No. 5 – 2022, which introduces preliminary regulations on properties used specifically for generating and distributing solar or wind power.

New provisions are as such:

Solar or wind farms are only permitted in the I-1 Industrial Zoning District. The NLT zoning map is available here (PDF).
The lot containing the solar or wind farm must be at least 50 acres.
Solar panels, wind rotors, or other associated structures must be at least 100 feet from any property line or road right-of-way line.

New provisions apply only to alternate energy systems installed specifically for commercial distribution. Property owners with solar or wind power installed primarily for their own use will not be affected.

The ordinance, the supervisors explained, is not meant to be the final word on the matter. Instead, it is meant to fill a gap in the code of ordinances, as previous ordinances did not consider solar or wind power being generated for commercial rather than personal use.

The board may in the future impose other restrictions on these properties.

“This is just our foot in the sand; we would be able to in the future amend this ordinance in any ways that we see necessary,” said Chairman Ed Brensinger.

While no solar farms have been proposed for NLT, North Annville recently saw a proposed solar farm meet with controversy from the community.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2022/03/24/north-lebanon-township-places-restrictions-on-new-solar-wind-farms/