Solar permitting — Franklin County, Missouri
On file: local news, known opposition groups.
No solar ordinance; commission actively studying moratorium; new politically conservative presiding commissioner (former R Senate leader Dave Schatz,. Permitting: Franklin County Commission: CUP/SUP in Agricultural district. Track re…
Key driver: No solar ordinance; commission actively studying moratorium; new politically conservative presiding commissioner (former R Senate leader Dave Schatz, apptd by Gov. Kehoe); statewide SB 849 pending adds overlay risk
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Franklin County Commission: CUP/SUP in Agricultural district.
Setbacks & buffers
None codified. No county-specific solar ordinance confirmed. — NOTE: the distances above are a STATE-level fallback, not a figure read from this county's own ordinance. We hold siting-rule records for this county which may include a stricter local limit we have not yet extracted. Verify against the county's own ordinance before relying on these.
Spacing requirements
None codified.
Size restrictions
None codified; managed via CUP/SUP conditions
Penalties & bonding
No penalties or adjustments. Standard CUP/SUP process.
State-level permits & approvals
No statewide siting authority or preemption for utility-scale solar — full local control at county level. County CUP/SUP or special use process governs all utility-scale solar regardless of size. No minimum threshold above which state takes jurisdiction. County boards and planning commissions have full authority. Western MO (Kansas City area) in SPP territory; eastern and central MO in MISO territory — see Interconnection Zone column for per-county designation. Active local opposition and restrictive ordinances in rural counties 2020–2024.
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State policy & grid context
State RPS & clean energy policy
15% by 2021 (solar 2% carve-out) | Proposition C (2008) | Mo. Rev. Stat. §393.1030
State incentive programs
Missouri has no Renewable Portfolio Standard — legislature has repeatedly declined to enact one. Net metering: available under MO PSC Order (Ameren Missouri, Evergy — limited program). Property tax exemption for solar equipment: available. Sales tax exemption: solar equipment purchases exempt under §144.020.1(10). New MO solar property tax structure (2025): fixed $2,500/MW for projects placed in service Aug 28 2025+. CRITICAL: MO SB 849 statewide solar moratorium (passed Senate Commerce Committee Feb 10 2026; Gov. Kehoe supports; emergency clause = immediate effect upon signing) would halt all new and current solar construction through Dec 31 2027. As of Mar 23 2026: pending full Senate/House vote. Utility: Ameren Missouri serves central/eastern MO; Evergy Kansas City serves western MO; multiple rural electric cooperatives serve agricultural areas.
Grid & interconnection
MISO / Ameren Missouri (AMMO) zone
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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting
No standalone county BESS ordinance confirmed.
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.
- Franklin County officials discuss possible solar farm pause Solar
- Community opposition to BLE Landholdings Data Center data center — petition Data center
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 tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Local news P3
- 2026-09-17 Calls For Data Center Moratorium Intensify During
- 2026-09-17 Demonstrators Gather At State Capitol Against Ai Data Centers
- 2026-09-15 Data Centers Approved By Franklin County Commissioners Tuesday Vote
- 2026-09-15 Franklin County Commissioners Precipice Data Center Decisions
- 2026-09-14 Data Center Regulations School Closures Among Key Votes This Week
- 2026-08-28 St Francois County Residents Organize To Oppose Potential Data Center Development 8D46F34F
- 2026-06-05 Franklin County Commission Removes Spoken Public Comment Amid Data Center Debate
- 2026-05-22 Surge In Data Center Projects Statewide Spurs Controversy
- 2026-02-26 Pacific Data Center Rezoning Meeting Ends Abruptly After Developer Withdraws Request
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