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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Yakima County commissioners extend solar moratorium

By Jasper Kenzo Sundeen Yakima Herald-Republic

Yakima County Commissioners have voted unanimously to keep a moratorium on solar projects in place as county staff work on zoning regulations for new projects.

Commissioners first approved the moratorium on moderate- to large-scale solar projects in unincorporated parts of the county midway through 2022 and have kept in place due to concerns about water rights, the usage of agricultural land and fire safety.

That did not change Tuesday as commissioners extended the ban another six months.

“We need to continue the extension of the moratorium while we work to create zoning policy,” said County Commissioner LaDon Linde, who represents much of the Lower Yakima Valley.

Commissioner Amanda McKinney agreed with Linde and said she was concerned about losing agricultural land.

She noted the increased demand for energy for data centers and manufacturing and advocated for nuclear energy as an alternative.

The moratorium does not stop solar development in Yakima County. It doesn’t cover small projects like household solar panels. Large-scale developers can go through the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC.

EFSEC has reviewed several solar projects in Yakima County in the past two years and recommended approval to the governor. Former Gov. Jay Inslee criticized the county’s moratorium, saying solar farms have been well accepted and allow farmers to make money from land that might not be in agricultural production.

The Yakima Klickitat Farmers Association, formerly the county farm bureau, sided with Yakima County officials during a public hearing on the moratorium Tuesday.

“The biggest thing we’re concerned about is saving agriculture land for production,” said Mark Herke, a Yakima Valley farmer.

Herke said he was concerned that water rights for land used for solar farms would not go toward agricultural production. He was also worried about fire risks at solar farms.

Commissioners have renewed the moratorium several times over the past two years. McKinney said Tuesday that county staff are working to create land-use policy for solar farms.

She said the issue will go to the Planning Commission, which will propose changes to align with state Department of Commerce guidance about the Growth Management Act and agriculturally significant land.

Linde said he was open to the idea of solar farms when they help farmers supplement agricultural income and are installed on unproductive land, provided the county’s other concerns were resolved through a zoning process.

“This has to be looked at on a case-by-case basis,” he said.