SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / AR / Carroll

Carroll County, AR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

80
Risk Grade
Fail
Tourism-driven anti-industrial sentiment; Eureka Springs scenic/historic character; documented CUP denial and project withdrawals; terrain challenges; worsening political trajectory; SPP queue
Assessment Snapshot
Population
28380
State Rank
#46
Compliance
68%
Trajectory
68

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
500+ ft property line; 750+ ft occupied structures; additional scenic buffer near Eureka Springs
Zoning Mechanism
Conditional Use Permit - Quorum Court; Eureka Springs Planning Commission for city-adjacent sites; multi-agency review
Acreage Caps
Informal limit - large projects face intense scrutiny
Density Caps
None formal
Spacing Rules
None established
Size Restrictions
Informal - projects >20 MW face significant opposition

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Opposed - tourism/scenic preservation; anti-industrial land use
Basis for Assessment
Carroll County Quorum Court minutes; SW Times Record; Eureka Springs City Council resolutions
Political Risk Factors
Worsening
Board Members
County Judge (R); 9-member Quorum Court - carrollcountyar.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SPP / Carroll Electric Cooperative
Utilities
Carroll Electric Cooperative, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative
State Permitting Process
County zoning authority; Act 827 sets minimum ANRC standards; conditional use permit or special exception required; decommissioning bond required; setback minimums set by ANRC
State Incentives
Federal ITC eligible; no Arkansas state solar tax credit; Act 827 ANRC framework

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Carroll County Solar (10 MW, 2020 - pre-escalation)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
Ozark Solar (45 MW, 2023 - withdrawn community opposition); Carroll Renewables (25 MW, 2024 - CUP denied)

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Last verified: 2026-04-02 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes