Solar moratorium denied by commissioners

The Pulaski County Advisory Plan Commission (APC) had recently recommended a 12 month moratorium on commercial solar energy systems (CSES) with a 6-0 vote. However, on Monday, May 4, the commissioners voted down the moratorium request with a 2-1 vote. The county currently has moratoriums on data centers and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Building Inspector Karla Redweik explained that the APC had made this recommendation to the commissioners as they wanted to study potential amendments to the zoning ordinance, more specifically the portions that address CSES – proper regulation, methodology, long-term land use impacts and the effects of CSES on Pulaski County, its residents and first responders – ability to combat hazards with CSES. Redweik clarified that the proposed moratorium would only pause the filing and the acceptance of any new applications for any commercial solar energy systems in Pulaski County for a period of 12 months.