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Penn State Center for Energy Law and Policy Pennsylvania Solar Ordinance Database

Provision coverage

Of the 299 local governments with a solar ordinance on record, the share that address each of the 58 ordinance types, from most to least common. Open a type to see which municipalities address it, and follow one to its relevant text.

Height 171 of 299 57%

171 municipalities address “Height”

Setbacks and location restrictions 163 of 299 55%

163 municipalities address “Setbacks and location restrictions”

Fencing, site screening, landscaped buffers 160 of 299 54%

160 municipalities address “Fencing, site screening, landscaped buffers”

Decommissioning (see "Site Restoration" for related requirements) 157 of 299 53%

157 municipalities address “Decommissioning (see "Site Restoration" for related requirements)”

Design 150 of 299 50%

150 municipalities address “Design”

Undergrounding of on-site lines 147 of 299 49%

147 municipalities address “Undergrounding of on-site lines”

Glare 146 of 299 49%

146 municipalities address “Glare”

Financial assurance (in addition to or in lieu of bond) 135 of 299 45%

135 municipalities address “Financial assurance (in addition to or in lieu of bond)”

Safety, equipment labeling, and warning signs; see "Fencing..." for security fencing requirements 133 of 299 44%

133 municipalities address “Safety, equipment labeling, and warning signs; see "Fencing..." for security fencing requirements”

Site Restoration (See "Decommissioning") 133 of 299 44%

133 municipalities address “Site Restoration (See "Decommissioning")”

Sign restrictions (aesthetic purposes) 119 of 299 40%

119 municipalities address “Sign restrictions (aesthetic purposes)”

Local Ordinance Compliance 110 of 299 37%

110 municipalities address “Local Ordinance Compliance”

Nonexclusive Accessory Use (other types of use allowed) 106 of 299 35%

106 municipalities address “Nonexclusive Accessory Use (other types of use allowed)”

Screening (See also "Fencing, site screening, and landscaped buffers") 106 of 299 35%

106 municipalities address “Screening (See also "Fencing, site screening, and landscaped buffers")”

Interconnection (proof of) 92 of 299 31%

92 municipalities address “Interconnection (proof of)”

Impervious surface treatment; see also "Lot coverage" for related requirements 90 of 299 30%

90 municipalities address “Impervious surface treatment; see also "Lot coverage" for related requirements”

Lot size for utility-scale solar (minimum/maximum) 86 of 299 29%

86 municipalities address “Lot size for utility-scale solar (minimum/maximum)”

Solar rights/solar access/solar easements/skyspace 84 of 299 28%

84 municipalities address “Solar rights/solar access/solar easements/skyspace”

Soils--agricultural 80 of 299 27%

80 municipalities address “Soils--agricultural”

Land development plan (specific to utility-scale solar) 77 of 299 26%

77 municipalities address “Land development plan (specific to utility-scale solar)”

Access roads (private on-site roads) 76 of 299 25%

76 municipalities address “Access roads (private on-site roads)”

Proof of federal and state permits 74 of 299 25%

74 municipalities address “Proof of federal and state permits”

Repair 73 of 299 24%

73 municipalities address “Repair”

Conditional use 70 of 299 23%

70 municipalities address “Conditional use”

Exclusive Accessory Use (solar panels only allowed as accessory use within the municipality) 69 of 299 23%

69 municipalities address “Exclusive Accessory Use (solar panels only allowed as accessory use within the municipality)”

Permitted use (principal solar or utility-scale solar) 68 of 299 23%

68 municipalities address “Permitted use (principal solar or utility-scale solar)”

Lot coverage; see also "Impervious use treatment" for related requirements 67 of 299 22%

67 municipalities address “Lot coverage; see also "Impervious use treatment" for related requirements”

Lighting 65 of 299 22%

65 municipalities address “Lighting”

Stormwater management 63 of 299 21%

63 municipalities address “Stormwater management”

Heat Load (result of positioning of equipment) 62 of 299 21%

62 municipalities address “Heat Load (result of positioning of equipment)”

Public input (See also "Contact Info.") 62 of 299 21%

62 municipalities address “Public input (See also "Contact Info.")”

Environmental protection (e.g., trees, wetlands) 57 of 299 19%

57 municipalities address “Environmental protection (e.g., trees, wetlands)”

Installer Qualifications 54 of 299 18%

54 municipalities address “Installer Qualifications”

Noise 52 of 299 17%

52 municipalities address “Noise”

Pollinator plants/vegetation preservation and maintenance 52 of 299 17%

52 municipalities address “Pollinator plants/vegetation preservation and maintenance”

Bond--posting required; see also "Financial assurance" for related requirements; see also "Decommissioning" for related requirements 48 of 299 16%

48 municipalities address “Bond--posting required; see also "Financial assurance" for related requirements; see also "Decommissioning" for related requirements”

Contact Information 46 of 299 15%

46 municipalities address “Contact Information”

Emergency Response Plan 41 of 299 14%

41 municipalities address “Emergency Response Plan”

Encroachment of commercial/utility-scale solar facility on other uses 41 of 299 14%

41 municipalities address “Encroachment of commercial/utility-scale solar facility on other uses”

Fire code 41 of 299 14%

41 municipalities address “Fire code”

Lease agreement (proof of required) 32 of 299 11%

32 municipalities address “Lease agreement (proof of required)”

Insurance 29 of 299 10%

29 municipalities address “Insurance”

Incidental Sale to Utility (see Accessory Use categories for related requirements) 26 of 299 9%

26 municipalities address “Incidental Sale to Utility (see Accessory Use categories for related requirements)”

Wiring 26 of 299 9%

26 municipalities address “Wiring”

Historic Structures/Districts 25 of 299 8%

25 municipalities address “Historic Structures/Districts”

Stated Purpose of Solar Ordinance 23 of 299 8%

23 municipalities address “Stated Purpose of Solar Ordinance”

Public roads--use for wind or solar equipment transport; road bonding 22 of 299 7%

22 municipalities address “Public roads--use for wind or solar equipment transport; road bonding”

Accessory uses to commercial/utility-scale solar energy systems ***this means uses that accompany large-scale solar systems 21 of 299 7%

21 municipalities address “Accessory uses to commercial/utility-scale solar energy systems ***this means uses that accompany large-scale solar systems”

Parking 21 of 299 7%

21 municipalities address “Parking”

Reporting 20 of 299 7%

20 municipalities address “Reporting”

Special Use 20 of 299 7%

20 municipalities address “Special Use”

Agrivoltaics (solar + farming -- grazing or crops) 17 of 299 6%

17 municipalities address “Agrivoltaics (solar + farming -- grazing or crops)”

Signal Interference 16 of 299 5%

16 municipalities address “Signal Interference”

Agricultural provisions--see "Soils-agricultural" and "agrivoltaics" 14 of 299 5%

14 municipalities address “Agricultural provisions--see "Soils-agricultural" and "agrivoltaics"”

Non-conformance 12 of 299 4%

12 municipalities address “Non-conformance”

Second principal use solar 12 of 299 4%

12 municipalities address “Second principal use solar”

Off-site Transmission Lines 9 of 299 3%

9 municipalities address “Off-site Transmission Lines”

Change of Ownership 8 of 299 3%

8 municipalities address “Change of Ownership”