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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 5583 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC001546 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO TOWNS AN D CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives Fascia, Place, Chippendale, Nardone, Paplauskas, and |
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| 17 | 17 | | Quattrocchi |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: February 26, 2025 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: House Corporations |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 45-24 of the General Laws entitled "Zoning Ordinances" is hereby 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | amended by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 45-24-46.6. Utility scale solar energy projects. 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the development of utility 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | scale solar projects shall be limited to projects where the free-standing solar energy structure is on 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | property where the structure is providing energy to an urban area of residential properties, a 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | commercial property or otherwise occupying other developed accessory portions of a residential or 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | commercial property to include, but not be limited to, roof tops, parking lots and developed 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | property. 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) Forested land, farmland, undeveloped property consisting of one acre or more and other 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | rural areas of land shall not be utilized for utility scale solar projects. 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) For purposes of this section "a utility scale solar project" means a project that produces 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | ten megawatts (10 MW) or more of energy, or produces electricity for sale pursuant to the 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | provisions of chapter 26.4 of title 39. 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 15 |
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| 38 | 38 | | ======== |
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| 39 | 39 | | LC001546 |
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| 40 | 40 | | ======== |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC001546 - Page 2 of 2 |
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| 44 | 44 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 45 | 45 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 46 | 46 | | OF |
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| 47 | 47 | | A N A C T |
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| 48 | 48 | | RELATING TO TOWNS AN D CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES |
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| 49 | 49 | | *** |
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| 50 | 50 | | This act would limit where utility scale solar projects can be developed to projects where 1 |
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| 51 | 51 | | the free-standing solar energy structure is on property where the structure is providing energy to an 2 |
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| 52 | 52 | | urban area of residential properties, a commercial property or otherwise occupying other developed 3 |
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| 53 | 53 | | accessory portions of a residential or commercial property. Development in forested and other rural 4 |
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| 54 | 54 | | areas of land would be prohibited. 5 |
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| 55 | 55 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 6 |
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| 56 | 56 | | ======== |
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| 57 | 57 | | LC001546 |
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| 58 | 58 | | ======== |
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