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Zoning & Conditional Use Permits wind
Zoning and Conditional Use Permits
Each county’s permitting process is slightly different, and some counties have more experience with wind energy projects than others. For example, see the processes that Union County, OR and Klickitat County, WA developed.
In general, obtaining a permit from a local permitting authority involves: compliance with land-use zoning regulations; a Conditional Use Permit (CUP); and building, road, and other permits. Each local planning department will have information about the zoning designation for the land proposed for the wind project. In some zones, wind development is not a permitted use. In this case, it will be necessary to apply for a Zoning Variance (an exception from the zoning rules for those land parcels proposed for wind development) prior to applying for any other permits.
For land where wind is a permitted use, a Conditional Use Permit will usually be required, which grants permission to build the project as long as certain conditions are met.
The cost of a Conditional Use Permit varies by county, but tends to be around a few hundred dollars. Larger projects, with more extensive review and staff time invested by the county, may be required to pay more to help defray the county’s processing expenses. The amount of time required to obtain a Conditional Use Permit varies by project, depending on the structure of the local permitting process and whether pre-development studies must be conducted prior to applying for permits.
To learn more about Conditional Use Permits, go to this section: Elements of a Conditional Use Permit.
