SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / AR / Columbia

Columbia County, AR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

44
Risk Grade
Good
SW Arkansas oil heritage county diversifying to solar; low density; Entergy/SWEPCO grid; standard CUP process; minimal opposition
Assessment Snapshot
Population
23457
State Rank
#11
Compliance
40%
Trajectory
40

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
200 ft property line; 350 ft occupied structures
Zoning Mechanism
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) - Quorum Court/Planning Commission
Acreage Caps
None established
Spacing Rules
None established
Size Restrictions
None established

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral-Supportive - oil heritage community diversifying
Basis for Assessment
County judge statements; Magnolia Banner-News
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Judge (R); 9-member Quorum Court - columbiacountyar.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
MISO / Entergy Arkansas
Utilities
Entergy Arkansas, Southwestern Electric Power Co (SWEPCO/AEP)
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
Magnolia Solar (25 MW, 2022); Columbia County Solar (35 MW, 2023)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None known

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