Solar permitting — Burlington County, New Jersey
17 indexed meetings (0 energy-related), 3 news items.
Largest NJ county by area; Pinelands Area covers major portion; Pinelands Commission approval required adds re. Permitting: Burlington County: municipal planning board; 300-ft max / 15-ft min setbacks; hard Pinelands Preservation
Key driver: Largest NJ county by area; Pinelands Area covers major portion; Pinelands Commission approval required adds regulatory layer; agricultural portions outside Pinelands active solar market
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Burlington County: municipal planning board (MLUL). Pinelands Area: Pinelands Commission Certificate of Filing required. Non-Pinelands: standard MLUL D variance or conditional use.
Setbacks & buffers
Burlington County: setbacks governed by individual municipality AND Pinelands CMP where applicable. Pinelands: buffer requirements from wetlands/streams per CMP. Typical NJ municipal: ≥100 ft property line; ≥200–300 ft from dwellings; ≤15 ft height. Pinelands wetlands: no solar within 300 ft of freshwater wetlands in Preservation Area.
Spacing requirements
None codified at county level.
Size restrictions
None codified at county level.
Penalties & bonding
Total penalty: +15 | Hostile ordinance flag: +15
State-level permits & approvals
Local municipal zoning approval required; no statewide preemption of local ordinances. DEP Office of Permitting and Project Navigation: coordination required for large non-rooftop solar (CAFRA permits for coastal areas, Freshwater Wetlands, Flood Hazard, Stormwater). BPU SREC-II pre-construction registration required for incentive eligibility. PJM interconnection required. NJ Pinelands Commission approval required for projects in Pinelands Area. Historic districts (Cape May, Princeton) require architectural review board approval. DEP Guidance Document for Construction of Solar PV Arrays available at dep.nj.gov/cleanenergy.
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State policy & grid context
State RPS & clean energy policy
50% Class I by 2030, 100% by 2050 | Clean Energy Act (2018) + EMP 2019 | N.J.S.A. 48:3-87
State incentive programs
NJ SuSI SREC-II (Successor Solar Incentive) Program: fixed $85/MWh payment for 15 years for net-metered systems <5 MW; grid supply solar subject to competitive TRECs/variable rate. NJ Sales Tax Exemption: solar equipment purchases fully exempt. NJ Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) Registered Solar Program: for larger commercial arrays. NJ Community Solar: pilot program expanded to permanent program 2024 (Board of Public Utilities). NJ RPS: 35% renewable by 2025; 50% by 2030; significant solar carve-out. Utility: PSE&G serves northern NJ; JCP&L (FirstEnergy) serves central NJ; Atlantic City Electric (Exelon/ACE) serves southern NJ; Rockland Electric serves Bergen/Essex/Warren areas.
Grid & interconnection
PJM / Atlantic City Electric (AEP) transmission zone
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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting
No confirmed county BESS ordinance
Local BESS ordinances & bylaws
County-level battery-storage status, safety requirements, and projects — each linked to a primary source.
Community opposition P1
No organized opposition on record for this county yet — no petition, group, or oppositional coverage tracked. Absence of opposition is a positive siting signal.
Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
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Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
17 meetings indexed for this jurisdiction; none 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
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