§ 104-1. Purpose and intent.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish guidelines for the appropriate placement and use of wind energy systems, including turbines, and solar energy systems, including solar energy panel, with the goals of:
(1)
Promoting the safe, effective, and efficient use of a wind energy system, including turbines, and solar energy system, including solar energy panels, in order to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in producing electricity.
(2)
Preserving and protecting public health, safety, welfare, quality of life, and integrity, character, property values, and aesthetic quality of the city by minimizing potential adverse impacts of a wind energy system, including turbines, and a solar energy system, including solar energy panels.
(3)
Establishing standards and procedures by which the siting, design, engineering, installation, operation, and maintenance of a wind energy system, including turbines, and solar energy system, including solar energy panels, shall be governed.
(4)
Promoting the use of wind and solar energy because they are abundant, renewable and nonpolluting natural energy resources.
(5)
Converting wind and solar energy to electricity to reduce our dependence on nonrenewable energy resources and decreasing air and water pollution resulting from the use of conventional nonrenewable resources.
(6)
Distributing wind energy systems will enhance the reliability and power quality of the power grid, reduce peak power demands, and assist in diversifying our energy supply portfolio.
(7)
Making the electricity more competitive by promoting customer choice generated from wind and solar energy systems.
(8)
Finding these regulation standards are necessary in order to facilitate adequate provision of sites for wind and solar energy systems while ensuring they are situated in appropriate locations and relationships to other land uses, structures and buildings, without significantly increasing the cost or decreasing the efficiency of such systems.
(Ord. No. 409, § 1, 5-27-2010)