Solar permitting — Tama County, Iowa
On file: public meetings, local news, known opposition groups.
Commercial Wind and Solar Moratoriums (Resolution, January 6 2025); moratorium expires January 6 2025. Permitting: Tama County Planning & Zoning: CUP/SUP in Agricultural district.; 1,500-ft max / 15-ft min setbacks; hard 500-acre combined county cap maximum for all utility-scal…
Key driver: Central Iowa agricultural; Toledo area; Meskwaki Nation tribal territory adds consultation layer; active solar
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Tama County Planning & Zoning: CUP/SUP in Agricultural district.
Setbacks & buffers
Draft ordinance: ≥50 ft from road ROW; ≥500 ft from non-participating property line; ≥1,000 ft from occupied residential; ≥1,500 ft from cemetery property line. Height ≤15 ft at maximum tilt.
Spacing requirements
None codified.
Size restrictions
≤25 MW total county-wide. BESS not permitted collocated with solar under draft ordinance.
Penalties & bonding
No penalties or adjustments. Standard CUP/SUP process.
State-level permits & approvals
Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) generating certificate required for projects ≥25 MW (Iowa Code §478). Projects <25 MW: local CUP/SUP under county/township zoning governs. No statewide preemption of local ordinances — Iowa is a strong local-control state. County boards have full authority to restrict or deny solar below 25 MW threshold. Active local opposition movement in many agricultural counties; several moratoriums and restrictive ordinances enacted 2021–2024. IUB certificate does not override local zoning for sub-25 MW projects. MISO interconnection territory statewide.
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State policy & grid context
State RPS & clean energy policy
105 MW total (first state RPS, 1983) | Alternative Energy Production Law | Iowa Code §476.41-476.44
State incentive programs
Iowa Renewable Energy Standard: minimal (105 MW aggregate mandate met since late 1990s). Net metering: IUC-regulated utilities (MidAmerican Energy, Alliant IPL) offer net metering under Iowa Code §476A; programs vary by cooperative. Property tax exemption: 5-year exemption for solar equipment added via IA Code §427B.26. MidAmerican Energy planning 800 MW new solar at ~6 IA sites by 2028 (filed IUC Feb 17 2025). Utility: MidAmerican Energy serves Des Moines metro, western/central IA; Alliant Energy/IPL serves eastern/southern IA; rural areas served by 60+ electric cooperatives.
Grid & interconnection
MISO / Alliant Energy (ALTW) zone
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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting
BESS PROHIBITED UNDER DRAFT SOLAR ORDINANCE — Tama County draft Solar Ordinance (July 2025): 'any BESS will not be allowed on a commercial solar facility.' Standalone BESS: also banned under the Janua
Local BESS ordinances & bylaws
County-level battery-storage status, safety requirements, and projects — each linked to a primary source.
Community opposition P1
Organized opposition signals on record for this county — petitions, community groups, and oppositional coverage — each linked to its primary source.
- Tama County Against Turbines Wind
- Petition · Limit the conditional use permits for wind turbines in Tama County Wind
- Tama Co. Zoning Commission holds public hearing on industrial wind, solar moratorium Wind
- Tama County Supervisors place moratoriums on commercial wind, solar energy development and construction; NextEra acquire Wind
- Tama County Supervisors temporarily stopped from acting on moratorium in relation to Salt Creek Wind Wind
SitePath maintains the most complete community-opposition dataset available, refreshed continuously from primary sources.
Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
- Project track record
- Developer intelligence
- Governing board
Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
No meetings on file for this jurisdiction flagged as discussing solar, BESS, data centers, wind, or transmission yet. Coverage expands weekly.
State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Local news P3
- 2026-04-03 Auditor Releases Battery Moratorium,194436
- 2026-02-20 Iowa Red Light Wind Turbine Bill
- 2026-02-20 Wind Turbines Blinking Lights Iowa
- 2026-02-20 Iowa Bill Seeks To End Constantly Blinking Red Lights On Wind Turbines
- 2026-02-18 Iowa Wind Turbine Aircraft Detection Light
- 2026-02-17 Partners Iowa Bill Seeks To End Constantly Blinking Red Lights On Wind Turbines 11907581
- 2025-12-12 221 Million Itc Transmission Line Moving Forward Between Marshall And Linn Counties
- 2025-09-16 Salt Creek Wind Ii Owner Addresses Opposition Ahead Of Failed Settlement Vote
- 2025-09-10 Tama County Supervisors Vote 12 Million Wind Turbine Settlement
- 2025-08-01 Bending With The Wind
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