Stutsman County Approves Solar Farm Ordinance Requiring 1,320-Foot Setback

William Dean, lead project developer for New Leaf Energy, watched as the Stutsman County Commission voted 4–1 on Feb. 17, 2026 to approve amendments to the county zoning ordinance that affect commercial solar energy conversion facilities planned north of Jamestown in Fried Township. The action coincides with New Leaf’s proposed 247‑megawatt Buffalo solar project, which the Jamestown Sun says would cover about 1,600 acres owned by a single landowner and carry an estimated $370 million price tag.

The approved action was reported to establish a required setback of 1,320 feet, a figure that also appears in county ordinance excerpts tying a 1320‑foot setback to crew camp perimeter fences. The county text states, “A crew camp’s perimeter fence must be set back 1320 feet from every other property owner’s occupied structure(s).” That same county language allows exceptions: “A crew camp perimeter fence may be set back less than 1320 feet when the applicant/holder has obtained waivers from any landowner directly affected and the applicant/holder provides them to −36− October 14, 2025 the County Board who then duly approves the exception.”

The commission’s Feb. 3, 2026 session had earlier tabled proposed solar ordinance amendments while seeking information from New Leaf Energy; Commissioner Amanda Hastings said, “The county commission is waiting for information that it requested from New Leaf Energy.” At that Feb. 3 meeting the commission also approved zoning ordinance amendments for data centers, battery energy storage and carbon capture facilities; the Jamestown Sun reported the data center rule requires new data centers to be at least 2 miles from any building or structure and 3 miles from any existing data center.

New Leaf Energy told the Jamestown Sun that William Dean “plans to attend the county commission meeting on Feb. 17 when the commission could take action on the ordinance.” Company materials reported in local coverage place construction on the Buffalo project as potentially starting in summer 2028 with completion in summer 2029; those timelines remain part of the public record as the county moves forward with ordinance changes.

Local reporting of an earlier draft of the proposed solar ordinance listed different setback figures from the ones contained in the county excerpts; the Jamestown Sun wrote, “The proposed ordinance says solar farms would be required to be 100 feet from all property lines. The setback distance would be a half mile from any occupied residence. The ordinance would require solar farms to be 165 feet from the center line of any township road, 250 feet from any county, county, state or federal highway and 100 feet from the high water mark of any lake and streams. All setbacks would be measured from the exterior of the fencing and gates.”

The adopted county excerpt also spells out application and inspection requirements: “The Planning and Zoning Commission will eventually make a recommendation for approval, denial, or any other appropriate action to the Stutsman County Board of Commissioners. An application will be approved only after the County Board of Commissioners is satisfied all the conditions precedent in this ordinance have been satisfied.” The ordinance further requires “A report of inspection documenting the preconstruction condition of the proposed crew camp site, adjoining properties, and the roads servicing the proposed crew camp” to be prepared by the Zoning Administrator with assistance from the Stutsman County Highway Department if needed.

Key items still to be confirmed include the final, complete Feb. 17 ordinance text that clarifies whether the 1,320‑foot setback applies to arrays, fences, crew camps or other facility components, and the official roll call identifying the four affirmative and one dissenting commissioners. The ordinance does require that the Planning and Zoning Commission hold at least one public meeting on applications, providing a formal opportunity for Fried Township and Jamestown‑area residents to review plans and comment.