Commissioners seek clarity, roundtable as solar moratorium and BESS timelines near end dates

Commissioner (S6) reopened the topic of the county's moratorium on large‑scale solar projects and asked whether its end date aligns with the county's BESS review. He urged the group to pursue clarity from the state and consider multiple policy options rather than relying only on staff guidance.

"We have a moratorium right now on solar," Commissioner (S6) said, and several commissioners agreed a synced timetable would reduce confusion. Staff (S8) supplied tentative end dates for the two processes and encouraged caution: "I don't have the specific date itself, but the, large sales score is scheduled, I believe, for the end of December of this year, whereas the best's deadline is the, I believe, the end of March next year." Commissioners proposed a roundtable involving applicants who had been denied and nearby neighbors, with a suggested informal public roundtable near Oct. 1 followed by staff meetings.

Several commissioners expressed interest in the commission drafting initial ideas to reduce workload on planning staff, then bringing staff and stakeholders together for collaborative refinements. Staff and commissioners also discussed the possibility of seeking an attorney general opinion or legislative clarification if state law remains unclear.