Grant County, WI Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

The Code of Grant County has no stand-alone dark-sky chapter in the text read here; lighting provisions attach to specific uses, and each applies in unincorporated Grant County, Wisconsin.

Wind energy. Chapter 270 applies to all lands in the County outside incorporated cities and villages and is administered by the Grant County Conservation, Sanitation and Zoning Department (§ 270-1). Under § 270-4B(1), a small wind energy system can be artificially lighted only if lighting is required by the Federal Aviation Administration, and the owner must use shielding or control systems approved by the Federal Aviation System, as the code words it, to reduce visibility of light when viewed from the ground. A small system is one of 300 kilowatts or less made up of turbines of not more than 100 kilowatts each (§ 270-2).

Solar energy. When the Conditional Use Permit for a small solar facility is reviewed under § 236-4D(10), reasonable construction standards include phasing to limit the area of disturbance, hours of construction to limit disruption to residents, and light pollution mitigation. The application's site plan under § 236-4C(2) must also show drives, entrances, panels, inverters, storage systems and other planned infrastructure.

Shoreland. Chapter 316 sets a mitigation menu. When the County issues a permit that requires mitigation under §§ 316-39, 316-45 and 316-47, § 316-50C has the applicant obtain at least five points from a list of options. Item (11) awards 1.0 point for removal of existing shore lighting or replacement with downcast lighting within 75 feet of the ordinary high-water mark. For comparison, reducing impervious surface to less than 15% on the lot earns 5.0 points, and establishing or restoring a shoreland buffer at least 35 feet from the ordinary high-water mark earns up to 5.0 points, so lighting is a small piece of the credit system.