KINGMAN - Changing the county's zoning ordinance was discussed Wednesday by the Mohave County planning and zoning commissioners.
The commission held a special workshop on changing the zoning requirements for alternative energy sources such as wind turbines and solar for residential homeowners or large-scale commercial projects. Other alternative energy sources include ethanol, biomass or waste fuel technology.
The commissioners discussed creating a new zoning designation, possibly an E-zone, specifically for renewable energy projects. Currently renewable energy projects built on land are zoned heavy industrial, county planner Kevin Davidson said.
Design criteria for solar projects include height, setbacks, locating within site of a scenic highway, wildlife impact and visual mitigation. Design criteria for wind projects include height, setbacks, noise levels, locating within site of a scenic highway and wildlife impact.
Another issue is the use of water for renewable energy projects compared to other generating plants such as coal burning or natural gas plants. Options for coal or gas power plants include dry cooling, re-circulating systems and once-through systems. Water is used as a cooling system for the plant.
Other issues include the impact on neighbors, the environment, infrastructure improvements, a plan to decommission a plant if necessary, transmission lines and power purchases.
New sub-zoning designations could be for solar photovoltaic, concentrating solar trough, solar tower, wind, mixed technologies, biomass and experimental projects. Another topic is designating the size of a project including a small generating facility under 20 megawatts or a large generating facility, Davidson said.
The county commissioners and the supervisors have held several workshops in recent months on renewable energy projects including bringing green businesses to the county. Mohave County could do more in attracting renewable energy businesses such as from California, which would create much needed jobs.
Mohave County, with more than 300 days a year of sunshine, is one of the best areas in the world to generate electricity from solar systems. The county, however, is not known for its abundant wind. There are pockets of sustainable winds such as in Bullhead City and the South Mohave Valley that have the potential for constant winds, especially in the winter. Vertical wind turbines that spin 90 degrees opposite of standard wind turbines, looking like an inverted eggbeater, also are being considered.
Two commercial wind projects are planned for the county, one near White Hills and the other near the Nucor steel plant off Interstate 40 southwest of Kingman. Albiasa Corporation recently announced plans to build a 200-megawatt solar power plant on 1,400 acres in the southeastern part of the county. Other solar projects have recently been given the go-ahead by the commission.
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