Maine Planning Board Member Voted for Temporary Solar Project Ban

Graham Platner voted in 2024 to advance a temporary ban on larger solar projects in Sullivan, Maine, while permanent permitting rules were developed. The measure excluded rooftop residential solar installations. Platner said the vote responded to local concerns about rapid development.

He stated that communities had not prepared for large solar farms and that residents felt they lacked input on the projects.

Maine grants towns significant control over land use decisions under its home-rule provisions. Platner said the moratorium aimed to give Sullivan time to adopt ordinances and hold further discussions. Eliza Donoghue, executive director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association, said moratoria can allow towns to evaluate how new energy projects fit within communities.

She added that the group is concerned when such measures become a de facto ban on solar generation. No evidence indicates that the proposed Sullivan moratorium or any subsequent ordinance would function as a permanent ban.