Vermilion Parish, LA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Article II of Chapter 42 of the Vermilion Parish Code, adopted by Ord. No. 2024-O-05 on 5-15-2024, governs solar and wind farms in unincorporated Vermilion Parish. Sec. 42-20 defines a solar farm as land where a series of solar collectors is placed to generate photovoltaic power with a capacity of at least 50 kilowatts (kW) direct current or more. It states that the term does not mean one or more solar collectors intended to provide power for a single residential dwelling or commercial property, so the permit process below is aimed at farms, not rooftop panels on one home.

Sec. 42-21(a) requires the developer to obtain a permit from the Police Jury before building, constructing, placing, establishing, expanding or substantively altering a farm. The application includes a site plan showing all property in the project, all access roads, a drainage study, an environmental study and a traffic plan. Under subsection (b), the applicant holds at least one community meeting before permit approval. Notice must be published at least twice in the parish's official journal at the applicant's expense, with the first publication at least 30 days before the meeting, and an affidavit of publication goes to the parish.

The application is submitted to the parish building official with a fee of 0.3 percent of the projected cost of construction, figured on the entire project including buffer zones and access roads. If the parish has reason to believe actual costs exceed anticipated costs by ten percent or more, it can audit the costs and require a supplement permit fee. Review then runs in order: building official, then the parish engineer, then the Police Jury. A denial at any step comes with a written statement of reasons, and the applicant gets 30 days to submit more information or an amended plan, after which the Police Jury can grant the permit by majority vote.

A permit can be transferred or assigned only with the parish's prior written approval, and it expires one year from issuance unless construction has commenced, after which the applicant can reapply. Sec. 42-23 adds substantive standards, including a buffer setback of not less than 300 feet from the center of any adjacent public roadway, a decommissioning plan with financial assurance, and a maintenance plan.