Grant County, WI Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Chapter 236, Article I of the Code of Grant County was adopted by the Grant County Board of Supervisors on 4-23-2026 as Ord. No. 71. It governs small solar energy generating facilities in unincorporated Grant County, Wisconsin. The code defines the term as connected arrays of photovoltaic panels, their supporting structures or mounting systems, wiring, inverters, transformers and supporting substations, designed for a nameplate capacity of less than 100 megawatts. Anything that meets the definition of an accessory solar energy generating system is carved out, so the first question for any project is which category it falls into.

Approval comes in two steps. Section 236-4 makes small facilities subject to Conditional Use Permit approval in all zoning districts. That permit is discretionary and is granted by the Grant County Conservation Sanitation Zoning Committee after notice and a hearing. The application follows Chapter 282 and § 316-53 and must carry the items listed in § 236-4C(1) through (17): a metes and bounds narrative, a scaled site plan, a landscaping plan, a grading and drainage plan, a decommissioning plan with financial assurance, utility payment tax projections, landowner agreements, copies of state and federal permits, cultural and environmental analyses, a planned maintenance log, stray voltage mitigation and noise abatement measures. Review under § 236-4D weighs a committee-identified minimum goal of 50 feet from non-participatory property lines and 500 feet from residential structures, vegetative screening, stormwater and erosion control, and decommissioning security posted before construction begins.

The second step is the Zoning Permit under § 236-5. The Conservation Sanitation Zoning Department issues it, and the owner must have it before installing, constructing or expanding a facility. The fee is paid when the application is filed and is based on the cost of construction. The permit expires if construction does not start within 24 months of the permit date, or if the facility is not installed and fully functioning within 12 months after construction begins. A 12-month extension is available under Section 3.27(4)(a) of the Grant County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

Duties continue after approval. The owner must give notice of any ownership change on or before its effective date (§ 236-7), submit copies of state and federal approvals within 90 days of receiving them (§ 236-8), and file an as-built description and map within 90 days after operation begins (§ 236-9).