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C E NT E Rfor fW RAL AFFAIRS <br /> July 10, 2024 <br /> City of Hugo Planning Commission <br /> 14669 Fitzgerald Ave N <br /> Hugo, MN 55038 <br /> Re: Proposed Solar Ordinance in Hugo <br /> The Center for Rural Affairs is a private non-profit organization that advocates for policies that <br /> strengthen rural communities in order to create a more vibrant future. We connect rural citizens <br /> with opportunities to engage in the decisions that affect their lives, and one of the biggest of <br /> these is the opportunity to decide how their electricity is generated. <br /> Solar energy systems provide diversified income to landowners who have a right to decide how <br /> to use their land in a way that works best for them. They also allow communities to invest in <br /> solutions to offset energy usage and reduce energy costs. <br /> With the potential benefits that solar energy development offers the residents of Hugo, creating <br /> an ordinance that balances the interests of the city and its community members, and protects <br /> landowner rights, is essential. We commend the Hugo Planning Commission for taking the time <br /> to introduce a detailed solar ordinance and for their consideration of community needs and <br /> concerns. <br /> Regarding the proposed ordinance amendment to prohibit solar farms within any zoning district <br /> within the city, we recommend that the commission may want to reconsider some language <br /> within the amendment. The language for what constitutes a "solar farm" is imprecise and could <br /> limit the ability of some landowners to install even a small number of solar panels on land they <br /> own. We recommend that if the intent is to limit the development or purely commercial solar <br /> energy systems, that the commission consider alternative language that clarifies systems that are <br /> intended only for the generation of energy for commercial sale. <br /> Additionally, if the intention is to limit utility-scale solar, we recommend that the city use the <br /> standard for net metering to identify a capacity limit for individual installed solar systems versus <br /> utility-scale systems to make the ordinance language more precise. This means that if a customer <br /> produces more electricity than they use, the utility will pay them for the extra power. For <br /> reference, the system capacity limit for net metering in Minnesota is 1 megawatt. Using the <br /> standard for net metering would limit the exclusion of homeowners and landowners that want to <br /> install solar energy systems to meet their own energy needs. You can learn more about net <br /> metering in Minnesota here. <br /> Submitted along with this comment are some resources that may be useful during discussions on <br /> the proposed solar ordinance amendment. Additionally, our full clean energy siting library can be <br /> viewed at cfra.org/cleanenerg sag. If you have any questions,please do not hesitate to contact <br /> me. <br />