Fried Township, Stutsman County to Draft Ordinance for 1,600-acre Solar Project

Fried Township officials agreed to work with Stutsman County to draft or amend a township ordinance to address commercial solar facilities after New Leaf Energy presented plans for its Buffalo solar project at a Jan. 20 meeting. The proposal covers about 1,600 acres north of Jamestown and is sized at 247 megawatts, making it one of the larger solar developments proposed in the county.

New Leaf Energy estimated the project cost at $370 million and outlined a timeline that could lead to construction beginning in 2028 if local permitting and state approvals proceed. The company estimated 200 to 300 construction jobs during build-out and described anticipated long-term employment as modest. New Leaf also provided tax and lease projections as part of its presentation and said it will pursue conditional-use permitting after the township ordinance is adopted. State Public Service Commission approval would also be required.

Developer-proposed design parameters described industry-standard setbacks intended to reduce conflicts with nearby uses. Setback ranges cited included 250 to 500 feet from occupied residences, 25 to 50 feet from wetlands, and 50 to 100 feet from property lines. Those figures will likely inform the ordinance discussions as Fried Township and Stutsman County define allowable locations, buffer standards, and permit conditions for commercial solar facilities.

The decision to draft or amend a local ordinance shifts the process from a purely project-specific review to a broader regulatory exercise. Township zoning and ordinance language will determine what developers can seek through conditional-use permits, what mitigations will be required, and how local officials review community impacts. Stutsman County involvement signals an intent to coordinate standards across jurisdictions and to anticipate legal and administrative requirements before a conditional-use application reaches county or township boards.

For local residents the project raises several concrete considerations. Landowners on and near the proposed site could see lease revenue if agreements proceed. Local governments could realize new tax revenue tied to the $370 million investment. At the same time, changes in land use across roughly 1,600 acres will alter landscape character and raise questions about property impacts, wetlands protection, and long-term maintenance responsibilities.

The immediate next step is ordinance drafting by Fried Township in coordination with Stutsman County. After an ordinance is adopted, New Leaf Energy plans to file for conditional-use permits and seek state Public Service Commission review. The timeline to construction remains contingent on those approvals, with 2028 identified as a possible start date. Residents and landowners should monitor township and county actions as officials work to translate the developer’s technical setbacks and tax projections into enforceable local rules that balance economic opportunity with land-use controls.