Orange County, VT — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

State §248 CPG required (preempts local zoning). No county-level setbacks codified.

Vermont PUC §248 Certificate of Public Good (CPG) required; no separate county permit.

Generally receptive — agricultural; §248 pathway; growing market

C VT; Chelsea area; rural agricultural; active solar; §248 CPG required; growing market

Improving

Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) issues Certificate of Public Good (CPG) under 30 VSA §248 for all utility-scale energy projects — Vermont has the lowest preemption threshold in the nation (effectively preempts local zoning for virtually all commercial solar). Section 248 Certificate of Public Good: required for any solar facility of sufficient scale. PUC must consider impacts on aesthetics, orderly development, wildlife, primary agricultural soils, and surrounding municipalities. 'Shocking or offensive' aesthetics standard applied by PUC. Act 174 (2016): municipalities/regions that adopt enhanced energy plans receive 'substantial deference' in §248 proceedings — key tool for local influence without blocking. Local governments cannot require separate approvals once CPG is issued, but can participate as formal parties in §248 proceedings. Vermont Agency of Agriculture reviews projects ≥50 kW on agricultural soils; must appear at hearings for projects >500 kW. ISO-NE interconnection required statewide.

Vermont RPS: 75% renewable by 2032; 90% by 2050 (Renewable Energy Standard). Group Net Metering: allows multiple accounts to share credits from a solar array. VT CEDF (Clean Energy Development Fund): grants and loans for solar projects via VDPSMR. Sustainably Priced Energy Enterprise Development (SPEED): qualifying facility program. VT Green Mountain Power (GMP) solar programs: shared solar, community resilience hubs. Act 174 (2016): municipal/regional energy plans can affect siting approvals. Utility: Green Mountain Power serves most of VT; Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) serves Northeast Kingdom; Washington Electric Coop serves Orange/Washington county area.

Solar development in Orange County — Randolph/Bradford area; Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) and GMP serve Orange County. Multiple §248-approved mid-scale arrays; active development. Orange County has some of VT's highest solar irradiance.

No confirmed VT PUC Certificate of Public Good (CPG) denial on record for Orange County. AESTHETIC PRECEDENT: VT PUC denied 500 kW Manchester solar project 2021 solely on aesthetics — statewide signal that visual/scenic impacts are valid CPG denial grounds in Vermont. ACT 250: District Environmental Commission review for 10+ acre projects may raise scenic concerns. Source: VT PUC 2021 Manchester decision; 30 V.S.A. §248