48.4

Risk Grade

Fair

Arkansas River Valley; mixed terrain limits viable flat sites; OG&E SPP grid; moderate CUP process; transitional area between flat river bottom and Ozark foothills

Assessment Snapshot

Population

18296

State Rank

#24

Compliance

48%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

250 ft property line; 400 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 - AR River Valley community; mixed agricultural/industrial sentiment

Basis for Assessment

County judge statements; Times-Record (Ft. Smith regional)

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Judge (R); 9-member Quorum Court - franklincoar.com

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SPP / Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E)

Utilities

Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E), 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

Ozark Solar (18 MW, 2022); Franklin County Solar (22 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None known

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Franklin County, AR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Moratorium Status

Ordinance & Regulations

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Development Activity

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