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ORDINANCE NO. 914 <br />AN ORDINANCE TO THE MAPLEWOOD MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING <br />RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS (Wind, Solar, Geothermal) <br />The Maplewood City Council approves the following addition to the Maplewood Code of <br />Ordinances. This ordinance creates a new renewable energy ordinance which will be placed in <br />the Environment Chapter (Chapter 18) of the city code. <br />Section 1. Scope <br />This ordinance applies to the regulations of on-site renewable energy systems within the City of <br />Maplewood, Ramsey County, MN. The ordinance focuses on wind turbines, solar systems, and <br />geothermal ground -source heat pumps which are located on the site for which the generation of <br />energy will be used, with excess energy distributed into the electrical grid. <br />Section 2. Purpose and Intent. <br />It is the goal of the city to provide a sustainable quality of life for the city's residents, making <br />careful and effective use of available natural resources to maintain and enhance this quality of <br />life. Cities are enabled to regulate land use under Minnesota Statutes 394 and 462 for the <br />purpose of "promoting the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the community." <br />As pail of this regulatory power, Maplewood believes it is in the public interest to encourage <br />renewable energy systems that have a positive impact in energy conservation, with limited <br />adverse impact on the community. While Maplewood strongly encourages increased energy <br />conservation and improved energy efficiency, the city also finds that increased use of <br />appropriate renewable energy systems will be an important part of improving urban <br />sustainability. <br />The renewable energy regulations are intended to supplement existing zoning ordinances and <br />land use practices, and ensure these systems are appropriately designed, sited and installed. <br />These regulations are in place to balance the need to improve energy sustainability through <br />increased use of renewable energy systems with concerns for preservation of public health, <br />welfare, and safety, as well as environmental quality, visual and aesthetic values, and existing <br />neighborhood social and ecological stability. With these regulations, Maplewood is concerned <br />that renewable energy systems, particularly wind energy systems, be designed to minimize the <br />negative impacts on bird and bat species which are vulnerable to mortality from these energy <br />gathering machines. <br />Section 3. Wind Energy Sources and Systems <br />a. Definitions, Wind Energy Sources and Systems <br />The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this Section, shall have the <br />meaning provided herein, except where the context clearly indicates otherwise: <br />Feeder Line. Any power line that carries electrical power from one or more wind <br />turbines or individual transformers associated with an individual wind turbine to the point <br />