SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / AL / Clay

Clay County, AL — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

61.6
Risk Grade
Poor
Small declining rural county; no solar ordinance; limited local capacity; Alabama Power territory; high compliance score driven by no formal pathway
Assessment Snapshot
Population
13235
State Rank
#28
Compliance
64%
Trajectory
58

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
Not formally established; county zoning setback standards apply
Zoning Mechanism
County commission approval required for utility-scale; building permit for residential/commercial
Acreage Caps
None established
Density Caps
None established
Spacing Rules
None established
Size Restrictions
None established

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Conservative-neutral
Basis for Assessment
Small rural county; very limited solar project history; declining population
Political Risk Factors
Stable-Negative
Board Members
5-member county commission (elected)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC — Southern Company / Alabama Power
Utilities
Alabama Power
State Permitting Process
County-level only; no statewide solar permitting statute
State Incentives
Limited — no RPS; net metering capped at 2 MW residential

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
1
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
0

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Last verified: April 2026 (web research) | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes