2014 -- S 2438

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LC004170

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY - RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES

     

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Sosnowski, and Kettle

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 2 of the General Laws entitled "AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY"

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is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 23.3

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FARM CONSERVATION AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

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     2-23.3-1. Short title. – This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Farm

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Conservation and Renewable Energy Act of 2014.”

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     2-23.3-2. Legislative findings. – The general assembly finds and declares that:

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     (1) Renewable energy facilities can reduce the operating costs of farms and provide

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critical revenue to maintain economically viable agricultural operations;

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     (2) Preserving farmland and strengthening the viability of farming are essential public

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purposes, necessary to the health and welfare of the people of the state; and

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     (3) Farms are significant energy consumers and given the size and openness of many of

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Rhode Island’s farms, they can be good locations for renewable energy facilities.

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     2-23.3-3. Definitions. – (a) “Agricultural product” means the product of the propagation

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care, cultivation, raising, and harvesting of the products of truck farming, horticulture, turf,

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viticulture, viniculture, floriculture, forestry/tree farming, growing vegetables for farming, sugar

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bush or the production of fiber.

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     (b) “Farm” means land of at least twenty-five (25) contiguous acres used to grow

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agricultural products or raise livestock.

 

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     (c) “Farmer” means individual, partnership or corporation who operates a farm and has

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filed a 1040F U.S. Internal Revenue Form with the Internal Revenue Service, has a state farm tax

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number, has earned ten thousand dollars ($10,000) gross income on farm products in each of the

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preceding four (4) years and all farming activities comply with the standard set forth in § 2-1-

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22(i).

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     (d) “Flicker” means alternating changes in light intensity caused by the moving blade of a

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wind turbine casting shadows on the ground and stationary objects.

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     (e) “Livestock” means horses, cows, sheep, poultry or bees or other living creatures.

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     (f) “Net metering” means net metering as that term is defined and used in chapter 39-28-

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26.4.

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     (g) “Office” means the office of energy resources.

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     (h) “Renewable energy facility” means a facility that supplies energy, including but not

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limited to, electrical and thermal energy, from a renewable energy resource as defined in § 39-

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26-5.

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     2-23.3-4. Siting and operating standards. – Renewable energy facilities shall be located

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on farms, providing the following siting and operational standards are met:

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     (1) Flicker – The renewable energy facility shall not result in more than thirty (30) hours

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of flicker on any occupied structure in any calendar year or more than fifteen (15) minutes of

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flicker on any occupied structure in any day.

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     (2) Noise – The renewable energy facility shall not produce, at the property line of the

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farm, more than a ten (10) decibel increase over the ambient decibel level.

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     (3) Set back – The renewable energy facility shall be set back from the property line by at

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least the required set back for new, buildings or structures, except for a wind turbine which shall

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be set back an additional distance at least equal to the area of a circle with a radius of one and

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one-tenth (1.1) times the maximum height of the turbine.

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     (4) The set back area for wind turbines in subdivision (3) above shall be preserved solely

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for the renewable energy facility and the production of agricultural products as long as the wind

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turbine remains standing.

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     2-23.3-5. Duties of the office. – (a) The office shall issue a “certificate of conformity” to

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a farmer if the office determines that the proposed renewable energy facility meets the siting and

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operating standards provided for in § 2-23.3-4; and qualifies as a self-generator or net-metered

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project.

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     (b) The certificate of conformity may include such requirements the office deems

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necessary to assure that the renewable energy facility will remain in conformity with this chapter.

 

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     (c) The office may adopt rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter,

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including establishing application requirements and reasonable licensing fees based on the size of

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the proposed renewable energy facility. Such fees shall be shared equally with the municipality in

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which the renewable energy facility is located.

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     2-23.3-6. Applicability of other laws. – Renewable energy facilities shall be exempt

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from property taxation.

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     2-23.3-7. Construction. – This chapter, being necessary for the welfare of the state and

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its inhabitants, shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate its purposes.

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     2-23.3-8. Severability. – If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this

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chapter shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, that judgment shall

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not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of the chapter, but shall be confined in its operation

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to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part directly involved in the controversy in which

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that judgment shall have been rendered.

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     SECTION 2. Section 45-24-37 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-24 entitled "Zoning

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Ordinances" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     45-24-37. General provisions -- Permitted uses. -- (a) The zoning ordinance provides a

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listing of all land uses and/or performance standards for uses which are permitted within the

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zoning use districts of the municipality.

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      (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the following uses are permitted

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uses within all residential zoning use districts of a municipality and all industrial and commercial

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zoning use districts except where residential use is prohibited for public health or safety reasons:

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      (1) Households;

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      (2) Community residences; and

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      (3) Family day care homes.

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      (c) Any time a building or other structure used for residential purposes, or a portion of a

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building containing residential units, is rendered uninhabitable by virtue of a casualty such as fire

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or flood, the owner of the property is allowed to park, temporarily, mobile and manufactured

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home or homes, as the need may be, elsewhere upon the land, for use and occupancy of the

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former occupants for a period of up to twelve (12) months, or until the building or structure is

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rehabilitated and otherwise made fit for occupancy. The property owner, or a properly designated

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agent of the owner, is only allowed to cause the mobile and manufactured home or homes to

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remain temporarily upon the land by making timely application to the local building official for

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the purposes of obtaining the necessary permits to repair or rebuild the structure.

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      (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, appropriate access for people

 

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with disabilities to residential structures is allowed as a reasonable accommodation for any

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person(s) residing, or intending to reside, in the residential structure.

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      (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, an accessory family dwelling

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unit in an owner-occupied, single-family residence shall be permitted as a reasonable

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accommodation only for family members with disabilities. The appearance of the structure shall

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remain that of a single-family residence and there shall be an internal means of egress between

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the principal unit and the accessory family dwelling unit. If possible, no additional exterior

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entrances should be added. Where additional entrance is required, placement should generally be

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in the rear or side of the structure. When the structure is serviced by an individual sewage

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disposal system, the applicant shall have the existing or any new system approved by the

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department of environmental management. The zoning enforcement officer shall require that a

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declaration of the accessory family dwelling unit for the family member or members and its

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restrictions be recorded in the land evidence records and filed with the zoning enforcement officer

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and the building official. Once the family member or members with disabilities no longer resides

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in the premises on a permanent basis, or the title is transferred, the property owner shall notify the

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zoning official in writing, and the accessory family dwelling unit shall no longer be permitted,

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unless there is a subsequent, valid application.

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      (f) When used in this section the terms "people with disabilities" or "member or

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members with disabilities" means a person(s) who has a physical or mental impairment which

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substantially limits one or more major life activities, as defined in section 34-37-3 of the general

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laws.

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      (g) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, plant agriculture is a permitted

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use within all zoning districts of a municipality, including all industrial and commercial zoning

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districts, except where prohibited for public health or safety reasons or the protection of wildlife

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habitat.

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     (h) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, renewable energy facilities

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located on farms in accordance with chapter 2-23.3 are permitted uses within all zoning districts

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of a municipality.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY - RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES

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     This act would provide for the siting and operating standards for farm based renewable

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energy facilities.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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