Model wind zoning and wind ordinances can help citizens, businesses, and communities facilitate and streamline responsible wind energy development in a way that works well within a community.  

During the 2009 Legislative Session, the Utah Legislature passed a Joint Resolution on the matter of Renewable Energy Ordinances (SJR1 - Renewable Energy Systems, sponsored by Senator Pat Jones and Representative Chavez-Houck).  This resolution urges the Utah State Energy Program, local governments and interested stakeholders to work collaboratively to develop and/or adopt model ordinances for wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydro energy development.  

Following the resolution, the Utah State Energy Program held stakeholder meetings and requested input from numerous stakeholders, including the League of Cities & Towns, Utah Division of Wildlife, the Governor's Energy Advisor's Office, Utah Clean Energy, the American Wind Energy Association, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wind industry professionals, various Utah local governments, interested citizens, and other stakeholders.

By the spring of 2010, Utah Clean Energy along with the Utah State Energy Program and other stakeholders worked to finalize the Utah Model Wind Ordinance (UMWO). The completed ordinance can now be adopted in its entirety or serve as a template for counties or cities wishing to implement a local wind ordinance. Box Elder County has been the first to use the Model Ordinance as a template to formulate wind regulations for their county. Still, most jurisdictions are unaware of the Utah Model Wind Ordinance and the guidance it can afford to institute responsible wind development. Utah Clean Energy is reaching out to counties with good wind resources, informing them of the recently released Utah Model Wind Ordinance and other wind ordinance resources available to them. As part of this outreach Utah Clean Energy is performing a statewide assessment to identify the counties and cities which are seeking to adopt an ordinance or have wind an ordinance already in place.

Click here to download a copy of the Final Model Wind Ordinance.

The model ordinance reflects accepted national practices for small wind, large wind, and anemometer towers. If your community or county is looking to adopt an ordinance or zoning for wind, we encourage you to use this ordinance as a template and reference.

Other resources for model ordinances and best practices are available on-line: 

• In the Public Interest (a small wind permitting guide)
• Report: Wind Turbines Don't Lower Home Property Values
• Panel Report: Wind Turbines Not Harmful to Human Health
• Model ordinance created by the American Wind Energy Association
• Wind zoning toolbox
• General information on zoning for small wind
• AWEA Small Wind Model Zoning fact sheet
• Minnesota Model Wind Energy Ordinance
• Minnesota Wind Ordinance Scoping Document
• Natrona County, Wyoming Model Commercial Ordinance
• NYSERDA Model Wind Zoning
• Permitting of Wind Facilities Handbook (NWCC) National Wind Coordinating Committee

If you need assistance with wind zoning & ordinances, please contact Bonnie Christiansen with Utah Clean Energy or Elise Brown with the Utah State Energy Program.