Council to Consider Solar Energy Laws [poll]

North Kingstown once again may be eyeing renewable energy laws. This time, it won’t concern wind turbines.

Monday night, the North Kingstown Town Council took steps toward the consideration of a solar energy ordinance. Councilors reviewed a memorandum from Planning Director Jon Reiner, outlining guidelines and regulations from other cities and towns in the country.

“We’re going to take a more conservative approach at first, looking at industrial pieces [for siting],” said Reiner.

Findings from the may also factor in the creation of a solar energy ordinance. The RESP initiative is designed to develop science-based statewide guidelines for where renewable energy projects are appropriate and how they should be developed.

According to Reiner’s memo, solar arrays should require a special use permit from the Zoning Board. Reiner also suggested the siting for these arrays would be in industrial areas or existing brown fields, landfills or gravel extraction sites. Other areas to look into would be rooftop solar energy facilities, glare and impact on the aesthetic character of the surrounding areas. Aside from glare, Reiner said there were not many “negative effects of solar.”

There was a consensus among members of the Town Council to take this process slowly, not looking for a repeat of the . that set larger setbacks for turbines but lifted height restrictions and created a process for approval that bypassed the town’s Zoning Board. During that meeting, Town Council President Elizabeth Dolan acknowledged that the ordinance “may not be perfect, but we can always go back and fix things as we learn.”

By December, and a larger than 50 feet tall. The council is looking to prohibit all wind energy systems until the completion of studies by statewide planning.

North Kingstown is already home to the state’s largest solar farm. In August, which will help the company offset its large electricity costs. Toray is the largest consumer of electricity in the state, with a $25-million electric bill.