Committee member seeks six-month extension of solar farm moratorium while legislature and state agencies act

A committee member updated the Infrastructure Committee on a solar-panel-farm ordinance that has been drafted and recommended extending the parish moratorium for six months while state and federal policy developments proceed.

The committee member said federal subsidies expire July 1 and the parish moratorium currently expires May 23; because the state legislature and the Department of Energy and Natural Resources are considering rules, she recommended extending the moratorium 180 days so the parish can finalize local ordinance language consistent with state action. "So I talked to Brad... about extending our moratorium for 6 more months," the member said.

Next steps: The committee member said she will bring the drafted ordinance back for committee review and asked staff to put a moratorium-extension request on the council agenda.