Welcome to Skagit County
July 1st, 2008
Skagit County Eliminates Special Use Permit Requirement for Renewable Energy Systems
SKAGIT COUNTY—Installing a windmill or solar electricity array in Skagit County just got a little bit easier.
Until today, renewable energy systems of any size that returned some of their energy to the electrical grid were deemed “major utility developments,” which require a special use permit that can cost more than $3,000. In response to complaints about the cost of that fee, Skagit County Planning Director Gary Christensen today issued an Administrative Official Interpretation (“AOI”) of the county development code.
That interpretation, which takes effect immediately, re-designates windmills, solar arrays, and other such small-scale systems as “accessory uses,” which do not require special use permits. Small-scale renewable energy systems will still require a building permit and evaluation under the State Environmental Policy Act.
“We had a situation where some older provisions of our code weren’t clear about how we should treat new technology,” Director Christensen said. “Through the AOI process, we can formalize our revised interpretation of that code until we can update it.”
The county intends to comprehensively amend the development code to specifically provide for renewable energy systems in the coming months. Whatcom County is currently engaged in a similar process and Skagit County expects to be able to learn from their experience. “We want to use our development code to support renewable energy and other environmentally-responsible land uses,” Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt said. “As energy prices go through the roof, we want to reward innovation.”
For more information, contact:
Gary Christensen
Director, Planning and Development Services
1700 E. College Way
Mount Vernon WA 98273
email: pds@co.skagit.wa.us
360-336-9410
Related documents:(Pdf)