Planning Director Chris Mathias says since 1980, Scott County has had very strict rules to protect its agricultural land. And that even small, alternative uses must be scrutinized very carefully.
"We have some of the best farmland in the world here, and in my opinion we need to make sure that that farmland is not going over to a large solar farm. If we do want that in our jurisdiction, we need to make sure that's happening not on the most productive farmland."
The ordinance would not affect what's considered "consumer scale" solar projects, on someone's roof or in their yard. Instead it would regulate projects featuring hundreds and thousands of solar cells - called "utility scale solar farms."
Mathias says if the ordinance is approved, prime farmland in Scott County could not be used for large solar arrays.
