Apache County Holds Public Hearing on Renewable Energy Zoning, Comprehensive Plan

The Apache County Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing Wednesday in St. Johns on proposed amendments to its utility-scale renewable energy rules, a months-long revision effort with direct consequences for property owners, energy developers, and tribal chapter communities across the county.

Community Development Director Matt Fish oversaw the meeting materials for the session, which opened with a working session at 4 p.m. inside the Board of Supervisors meeting room at the County Annex, 75 West Cleveland Street, before advancing to the formal public hearing at 5 p.m.

Two agenda items carried the most weight. The first: proposed changes to Article 4, Section 436 of the county Zoning Ordinance, which governs how utility-scale solar arrays, wind projects, and battery storage facilities are sited, permitted, and eventually decommissioned. The second: a review of the Apache County Comprehensive Plan, the principal document guiding long-term land use, infrastructure investment, and growth decisions countywide.

The Section 436 revisions represent the sharpest property-rights edge. The proposed language would alter conditional-use permit standards, setback requirements from neighboring parcels and public roads, decommissioning bond requirements, and community notice rules before large projects can proceed. Clean energy advocates have warned that overly restrictive revisions could block development and limit landowner choices; others have pressed for stronger protections on road damage, visual buffers, and financial guarantees for site cleanup once a project winds down.

The stakes are grounded in a recent precedent: in December 2025, the Apache County Board of Supervisors approved a conditional use permit for the Juniper Springs Solar and Storage Project, a 500-megawatt facility proposed by EDF Renewables on Arizona State Trust land east of the Springerville Generating Station. Whatever Section 436 language the commission ultimately recommends will set the benchmark for evaluating every comparable permit that follows.

The Comprehensive Plan review carries longer-range consequences. Once the Planning and Zoning Commission forwards a recommended draft to the Board of Supervisors, its character-area designations will shape where residential development, commercial activity, and energy infrastructure are steered across the county, including in St. Johns, Round Valley, Eagar, and Navajo Nation chapter communities such as Chinle. The Board of Supervisors holds final adoption authority over both the ordinance amendments and any revised Comprehensive Plan.

Property owners who want to verify whether their land falls within a zone affected by the proposed Section 436 changes should contact the Apache County Community Development office. Matt Fish and Shanna Pearce can be reached at (928) 337-7526, by mail at Apache County Community Development, P.O. Box 238, St. Johns, AZ 85936, or by email through the county website. Proposed ordinance text and meeting documents are posted to the Apache County Community Development page at apachecountyaz.gov. Subsequent Planning and Zoning Commission hearings and the Board of Supervisors' final adoption proceedings will be additional opportunities to submit written comment or testify in person.