# Lexington council amends solar ordinance after months of debate **Published:** 2026-08-18T16:00:00.000Z **Source:** [LFUCG Meeting Archive](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6856) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/lexington-council-amends-solar-ordinance-after-months-of-debate LEXINGTON, Ky. — [The Urban County Council voted to amend a proposed zoning ordinance during a Tuesday work session](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6856), reversing the Planning Commission's recommendation and allowing large-scale solar projects in certain agricultural zones for the first time. [Council members amended the regulations to allow for large-scale solar projects in certain agricultural zones](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08/19/urban-county-council-amends-proposed-solar-ordinance/), drawing both support and opposition from residents. [Last month, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to revise a zoning ordinance text amendment, proposing to prohibit large and intermediate scale solar energy development in agricultural zones.](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/07/10/lexington-planning-commission-proposes-ban-large-scale-solar-agricultural-zones/) The revised ordinance would allow industrial solar projects in agricultural zones under certain conditions, including [requirements to maintain agricultural production on the site and follow land-conservation and water-quality plans](https://fox56news.com/news/local/lexington/lexington-advances-solar-zoning-amendment/). [The proposal would also limit large-scale, ground-mounted solar projects to one percent of Fayette County's total acreage.](https://fox56news.com/news/local/lexington/lexington-advances-solar-zoning-amendment/) The amendment has been contentious since earlier this year. [In March, the Council's General Government and Planning Committee voted 6-to-4 to advance a proposed zoning change that would allow large-scale solar farms on agricultural land](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/03/10/lexington-council-committee-advances-solar-farm-proposal-agricultural-land/), marking a reversal from 2025 when the council voted to ban such projects. During Tuesday's public comment session, speakers presented conflicting viewpoints. Some residents argued that [solar development and agriculture can coexist and that renewable energy is needed to help Lexington reach its climate goals](https://fox56news.com/news/local/lexington/lexington-advances-solar-zoning-amendment/). Others contended that industrial-scale solar could threaten farmland and soil quality. Mayor Linda Gorton opened the work session with a moment of silence for [a shooting Saturday evening at Charles Young Park that killed one person and injured four others, including children](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/five-shot-lexington-ky-park-leaving-one-dead-rcna592770). ## Sources - [LFUCG Meeting Archive](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6856) - [WKYT News: Urban County Council amends proposed solar ordinance](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08/19/urban-county-council-amends-proposed-solar-ordinance/) - [WKYT News: Lexington planning commission proposes ban on large-scale solar in agricultural zones](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/07/10/lexington-planning-commission-proposes-ban-large-scale-solar-agricultural-zones/) - [FOX 56 News: Lexington advances solar zoning amendment](https://fox56news.com/news/local/lexington/lexington-advances-solar-zoning-amendment/) - [WKYT News: Lexington council committee advances solar farm proposal for agricultural land](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/03/10/lexington-council-committee-advances-solar-farm-proposal-agricultural-land/) - [NBC News: Arrest made in shooting that killed 1, wounded 4 others in Lexington, Kentucky](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/five-shot-lexington-ky-park-leaving-one-dead-rcna592770) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from LFUCG Meeting Archive, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6856.