Zoning Stands in the Way of Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is cheap as ever, but zoning isn’t keeping up with the market.

2 minute read

May 19, 2022, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Urban Solar Power

gyn9037 / Shutterstock

An article by Thor Benson for Popular Science reports on a key obstacle standing in the way of the kind of renewable energy development now possible at scale: zoning codes.

According to Benson, the amount of renewable energy projects is nowhere near commensurate to the economics of renewable energy.

The cost of renewable energy has plummeted over the past decade. The price of solar panels has decreased by roughly 90 percent over the past decade or so and the cost of wind power decreased by over half over that same period. With prices so low, it would be affordable to implement more solar and wind power in the United States than what we currently see. 

While some states have fared better than others in rolling out renewable energy (California briefly achieved 100 percent renewable energy production earlier this month, for example), solar and wind power accounts for only 13 percent of the nation’s total energy production capacity, according to a recent report by the Americas for Bloomberg New Energy Finance. According to experts cited by Benson, the “soft costs” of permitting, zoning approvals, and construction are preventing higher levels of renewable energy production.

One 2020 study found getting a permit to install solar panels takes about 50 days on average, which is weeks longer than many other kinds of construction permits take. Wait times have slowly decreased over the past decade, but they remain a barrier.

Moreover:

Then there’s zoning laws…an area might not be zoned for installing renewable energy, which means you can’t install it unless your local government decides to allow it. A zoning ordinance might allow it to be installed but have requirements for where it’s allowed to be installed due to concerns about things like community aesthetics. It could even be entirely unclear if installing a renewable energy system is permissible at all. 

Zoning codes in many U.S. cities were written long before climate change would make apparent the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power grid, or solar and wind energy became a possibility to located in local communities.

The source article, linked below, includes more details about how zoning laws prevent the development of renewable energy resources, and how some states and cities are revisiting zoning to respond to the need for more renewable energy capacity.

Monday, May 2, 2022 in Popular Science

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Brick school building with mid-sized tree on front lawn.

Alabama School Forestry Initiative Brings Trees to Schoolyards

Trees can improve physical and mental health for students and commnity members.

30 minutes ago - Governing

Row of outdoor dining kiosks in New York City during Covid-19 in winter. Kiosks are enclosed with plastc or plexiglass.

NYC Outdoor Dining Could Get a Re-Do

The city council is considering making the al fresco dining program year-round to address cost concerns from small businesses.

1 hour ago - StreetsBlog NYC

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

April 24 - San Diego Post