Helping Counties Plan for the Impacts of Utility-Scale Solar Facilities
In 2016, Mecklenburg County received two utility-scale solar facility special exception permits (SEP) for the Bluestone and the Grasshopper applications. The Bluestone application outlined a 332.5-acre, 49.9 MW facility while the Grasshopper application described a 946-acre, 80 MW facility. At the time, the County’s Comprehensive Plan did not address guidelines for utility-scale solar facilities. Given both the size and scale of the proposed projects, there were numerous land