Solar permitting — Howell County, Missouri
2 known opposition groups.
S Missouri; West Plains area; Ozarks; very limited solar; local CUP. Permitting: Howell County Commission: CUP/SUP in Agricultural district. Track record: West Plains Solar Farm (Good Energy Solutions/City of West
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Howell County Commission: CUP/SUP in Agricultural district.
Setbacks & buffers
None codified. No county-specific solar ordinance confirmed.
Spacing requirements
None codified.
Size restrictions
None codified.
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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Community opposition P1 2 tracked
Organized opposition signals on record for this county — petitions, community groups, and oppositional coverage — each linked to its primary source.
- Data Center Rejected by Howell Twp. Planning Commission Data center
- Howell Township officials extend data center moratorium ... 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:
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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
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
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