Six Best in the Southwest: Outstanding Solar Ordinances

The Clean Air Task Force highlights six counties in the Southwest—Mesa and Weld in Colorado, Summit and Iron in Utah, Mineral in Nevada, and Maricopa in Arizona—that have implemented outstanding solar ordinances. These ordinances are noted for balancing growth with protections, streamlining permitting for federal lands, and clarifying project scale through acreage thresholds rather than production capacity.

• Mesa County, Colorado, implemented a new solar ordinance in 2024 following a temporary moratorium, which allowed the county to incorporate community feedback and establish regulations that prioritize best practices and balance protections.
• Weld County, Colorado, updated its 2021 regulations to use acreage and location as the basis for classifying solar energy facilities instead of production capacity, providing a more standard measure of project scale.
• Summit County, Utah, updated its code in 2021 to enable solar development in its eastern planning district, where such arrays were previously prohibited due to a lack of regulations.
• Iron County, Utah, utilizes a solar ordinance established in 2010 that distinguishes between primary and accessory solar uses, ensuring accessory solar is permitted by right across all zoning districts.
• Mineral County, Nevada, has provisions that streamline and expedite the permitting process for solar projects located on federal land, provided they meet federal environmental review standards.
• Maricopa County, Arizona, permits non-utility-scale solar as an accessory use in any zoning use, while restricting utility-scale solar to industrial zoned land; this framework supported the 973 megawatt Sun Stream Complex, generating $300 million in taxes and lease payments.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Six Best in the Southwest: Outstanding Solar Ordinances. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/14141952/exemplary-solar-ordinances-southwest.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Six Best in the Southwest: Outstanding Solar Ordinances. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/14141952/exemplary-solar-ordinances-southwest.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Six Best in the Southwest: Outstanding Solar Ordinances |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/14141952/exemplary-solar-ordinances-southwest.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendsix, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Six Best in the Southwest: Outstanding Solar Ordinances}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/14141952/exemplary-solar-ordinances-southwest.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }