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Phillips County, AR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

38.9
Risk Grade
Good
E Arkansas Delta county; Helena-West Helena seat; very flat Delta terrain; low-income county with strong economic development imperative; Entergy grid; MISO; three approved projects; saturation risk growing; moderate as development increases
Assessment Snapshot
Population
17625
State Rank
#4
Compliance
33%
Trajectory
34

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft property line; 300 ft occupied structures (ANRC minimums)
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
Supportive - E Arkansas Delta; economic development critical in low-income county; county leadership support
Basis for Assessment
Phillips County Judge; Helena Arkansas Delta Independent; Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Judge (R); 9-member Quorum Court - phillipscountyar.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
MISO / Entergy Arkansas
Utilities
Entergy Arkansas, Phillips County 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
Helena Solar Farm (35 MW, 2021); Phillips County Energy I (28 MW, 2022); Delta Power SE (40 MW, 2024)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects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