Marshall County adopts ordinance banning farm‑scale solar and strikes moratorium language on carbon capture

Marshall County commissioners on May 5 moved to rapidly adopt two land‑use ordinances: one that prohibits farm‑scale solar systems and another that removes leftover moratorium wording tied to carbon capture projects.

Sean, a county staff member, summarized the changes, saying the farm‑scale solar amendment "prohibits farm scale solar in in all zoning jurisdictions" and clarifying the local definition tied to roughly five acres of panels. Commissioners voted to suspend the usual rule and approve ordinance 2026‑10 on second and third reading.

Separately, the board approved ordinance 2026‑12 to strike a two‑year moratorium reference that remained in the zoning code after the board's prior decision to prohibit carbon capture projects. Sean described the change as a cleanup to remove the moratorium clause now that the full prohibition is in place; commissioners suspended the rules and approved the ordinance.

What’s next: both ordinances were approved by the board and will be recorded in county zoning code updates.