Solar permitting — Yakima County, Washington
On file: known opposition groups.
Agricultural land competition (premium apple and hop orchards) and growing saturation are primary risk factors; excellent irradiance (5. Permitting: Yakima County: CUP in Agricultural zones. Track record: High Top Solar + Ostrea Sola…
Key driver: Agricultural land competition (premium apple and hop orchards) and growing saturation are primary risk factors; excellent irradiance (5.2 kWh/m²/day) and Yakima Power support provide strong development foundation.
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Yakima County: CUP in Agricultural zones; Yakima County Hearing Examiner; Board of County Commissioners. City of Yakima: Yakima Power interconnection process.
Setbacks & buffers
None codified statewide. County CUP conditions set site-specific requirements. — 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
Large facilities (≥350 MW): EFSEC exclusive jurisdiction. <350 MW: county CUP/SUP; no statewide preemption floor. SEPA review required. GMA energy siting required in comprehensive plans. SMA applies near shorelines. Critical Areas Ordinances: wetlands, fish habitat, flood zones require county CAO compliance. Ag land conversion: county-specific farmland protection policies apply.
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State policy & grid context
State RPS & clean energy policy
100% clean by 2045 | Clean Energy Transformation Act / SB 5116 (2019) | RCW 19.405
State incentive programs
Washington Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA/SB 5116, 2019): IOUs carbon-neutral by 2030; 100% carbon-free by 2045. Net metering: ≤100 kW IOU customers under WUTC; PUDs set individual limits. RESIP: production incentives for ≤100 kW systems. Sales & use tax exemption (RCW 82.08.962). Property tax exemption (RCW 84.36.635). Community solar via PSE, SnoPUD, Tacoma Power, Clark Public Utilities, and most WA PUDs. PACE financing in participating counties. Federal ITC: 30% (IRA 2022); 10% low-income adder for qualifying projects.
Grid & interconnection
WECC / BPA Transmission — Pacific Power and Yakima Power service territory; Yakima Valley grid / BPA John Day-area substations
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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting
No confirmed county BESS ordinance.
BESS ordinances & bylaws
Tracked storage projects
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.
- VICTORY FOR YAKIMA! SOLAR MORATORIUM LIFTED Solar
- Wautoma solar proposal moves ahead as Inslee tours Yakima County solar project Wind
- Yakima County Commissioners extend solar moratorium again Wind
- Yakima County’s two-year ban on solar may continue Solar
- Yakima County reviews solar rules as 2022 farmland moratorium continues Solar
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
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
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