The Livingston Parish Council Thursday approved a moratorium on new solar panel farms or commercial solar power plants within Livingston Parish in order to come into compliance with directions from the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources.
Council member Erin Sandefur explained to the News that there existed no problems with solar panel farms or solar power plants in the parish but that the action was taken merely to comply with the state agency, which notified the parish in a two-page letter back in August that such action would become necessary and to seek local feedback.
Legislative committee hearings resulted in the notice to local governments that the creation of a “comprehensive regulatory program for solar development” to establish statewide minimum requirements for such things as wildlife protection, citing and setbacks “would be considered during the 2025 regular session” of the Louisiana Legislature. “It is likely, should such a program be created, that additional rulemaking would follow,” the letter from LDENR Secretary Tyler Gray said.
The parish council’s action, therefore, was just a routine compliance move to ensure that no solar panel farms or commercial solar power plants are constructed in the parish, which would be a violation of state regulations.
Several other items placed on the agenda by council member Ryan Chavers were deferred because Chavers was ill and unable to attend Thursday’s meeting.
The council did adopt a motion to waive certain commercial development building regulations in order to allow for the construction of a 442-square-foot addition to the Saint Margaret Catholic Church mausoleum in council member Joe Erdy’s district. The justification for the waiver was that the church had mistakenly been classified as a commercial enterprise.
