Adair County, IA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Adair County Ordinance No. 38, passed and approved May 5, 2021, regulates Utility Scale Solar Energy Systems (US-SES) in the unincorporated areas of the county. A US-SES is a ground-mounted or freestanding solar power plant or solar farm built to generate electricity for the grid or other off-site use. The definition excludes small-scale panels at individual residential or commercial locations that are used exclusively for private purposes, apart from selling surplus electricity back to the grid. A US-SES Construction Permit is the permit required before construction is allowed, and the ordinance does not apply to a project with an agreement signed before its effective date.

Section 3 requires the application, with the $100.00 fee, before construction starts. It must contain a written project summary with the approximate generating capacity, the panel model and manufacturer, the contact details of the applicant, owner or operator, and the legal description of the property. It must also contain a site plan, either an aerial photograph or a scale drawing, showing site boundaries, all structures with number, spacing and height of panels, planned electrical lines, fencing, property lines, and setback measurements. An unredacted Health & Safety Instructions Manual from the panel manufacturer must be filed with the Auditor's office and made available to the public at the time of application. The application further needs a decommissioning plan with estimated costs in current U.S. dollars and evidence of an agreement with the property owner ensuring removal and site restoration within six months of decommissioning or abandonment, plus consultation with state and federal agencies on wildlife, communications and air traffic.

The County Engineer reviews the complete application, then presents it to the Board of Supervisors for approval. If information changes before construction, the applicant files a new application. Section 2 caps total Developed Project Acres in Adair County at 400, and a participating landowner appealing a denial on that basis files the Appeal for Variance form with the Auditor's Office for Board review. Section 5 adds a road use agreement and a decommissioning agreement before construction, and Section 7 allows transfer of permits only with Board approval.