Impact of siting ordinances on land availability for wind and solar development

Anthony Lopez (), Wesley Cole, Brian Sergi, Aaron Levine, Jesse Carey, Cailee Mangan, Trieu Mai, Travis Williams, Pavlo Pinchuk and Jianyu Gu
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Anthony Lopez: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Wesley Cole: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Brian Sergi: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Aaron Levine: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Jesse Carey: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Cailee Mangan: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Trieu Mai: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Travis Williams: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Pavlo Pinchuk: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Jianyu Gu: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Nature Energy, 2023, vol. 8, issue 9, 1034-1043

Abstract: Abstract In the United States, many siting regulations for wind and solar developments are created at the county or township level. Here we survey local zoning ordinances across the contiguous United States to understand the types and frequency of ordinances that might impact wind and solar development. We identify over 1,800 ordinances for wind and more than 800 ordinances for solar in 2022. To understand the impact of ordinances on anticipated land availability, we use spatial modelling on the setbacks specified in the ordinances. Extrapolating the setbacks throughout the country can reduce wind and solar resources by up to 87% and 38%, respectively, depending on the size of the setbacks applied. These results indicate the importance of capturing setback ordinances in resources assessments so as to not overstate resource potential, especially when considering highly decarbonized futures.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41560-023-01319-3

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