2007 Minnesota Statutes

500.30 SOLAR OR WIND EASEMENTS.
    Subdivision 1. Solar easement. "Solar easement" means a right, whether or not stated in
the form of a restriction, easement, covenant, or condition, in any deed, will, or other instrument
executed by or on behalf of any owner of land or solar skyspace for the purpose of ensuring
adequate exposure of a solar energy system as defined in section 216C.06, subdivision 17,
to solar energy.
    Subd. 1a. Wind easement. "Wind easement" means a right, whether or not stated in the form
of a restriction, easement, covenant, or condition, in any deed, will, or other instrument executed
by or on behalf of any owner of land or air space for the purpose of ensuring adequate exposure of
a wind power system to the winds.
    Subd. 2. Like any conveyance. Any property owner may grant a solar or wind easement in
the same manner and with the same effect as a conveyance of an interest in real property. The
easements shall be created in writing and shall be filed, duly recorded, and indexed in the office of
the recorder of the county in which the easement is granted. No duly recorded easement shall
be unenforceable on account of lack of privity of estate or privity of contract; such easements
shall run with the land or lands benefited and burdened and shall constitute a perpetual easement,
except that an easement may terminate upon the conditions stated therein or pursuant to the
provisions of section 500.20. A wind easement, easement to install wind turbines on real property,
option, or lease of wind rights shall also terminate after seven years from the date the easement is
created or lease is entered into, if a wind energy project on the property to which the easement or
lease applies does not begin commercial operation within the seven-year period.
    Subd. 3. Required contents. Any deed, will, or other instrument that creates a solar or wind
easement shall include, but the contents are not limited to:
(a) a description of the real property subject to the easement and a description of the real
property benefiting from the solar or wind easement; and
(b) for solar easements, a description of the vertical and horizontal angles, expressed in
degrees and measured from the site of the solar energy system, at which the solar easement
extends over the real property subject to the easement, or any other description which defines
the three dimensional space, or the place and times of day in which an obstruction to direct
sunlight is prohibited or limited;
(c) a description of the vertical and horizontal angles, expressed in degrees, and distances
from the site of the wind power system in which an obstruction to the winds is prohibited
or limited;
(d) any terms or conditions under which the easement is granted or may be terminated;
(e) any provisions for compensation of the owner of the real property benefiting from the
easement in the event of interference with the enjoyment of the easement, or compensation of the
owner of the real property subject to the easement for maintaining the easement;
(f) any other provisions necessary or desirable to execute the instrument.
    Subd. 4. Enforcement. A solar or wind easement may be enforced by injunction or
proceedings in equity or other civil action.
    Subd. 5. Depreciation, not appreciation counted for taxes. Any depreciation caused by
any solar or wind easement which is imposed upon designated property, but not any appreciation
caused by any easement which benefits designated property, shall be included in the net tax
capacity of the property for property tax purposes.
History: 1978 c 786 s 21; 1981 c 356 s 248; 1982 c 563 s 16; 1987 c 312 art 1 s 10; 1988 c
719 art 5 s 84; 1989 c 329 art 13 s 20; 2007 c 136 art 4 s 15