SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / AR / Searcy

Searcy County, AR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

63.2
Risk Grade
Poor
North AR Ozarks county; Marshall seat; very mountainous terrain; very small population with strong rural preservation identity; North Arkansas Electric; opposition-driven project abandonment; worsening trajectory; high C approaching D boundary
Assessment Snapshot
Population
7881
State Rank
#38
Compliance
66%
Trajectory
68

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
300 ft property line; 500 ft occupied structures; elevated local buffer
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
Strongly Opposed - Ozark mountain identity; very rural anti-industrial sentiment; terrain also limits siting
Basis for Assessment
Searcy County QC public meetings; Marshall Mountain Wave
Political Risk Factors
Worsening
Board Members
County Judge (R); 9-member Quorum Court - searcycountyar.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
MISO / North Arkansas Electric Cooperative
Utilities
North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, None (co-op only service area)
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
None approved
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
Searcy County Solar (2021) - abandoned at proposal stage due to opposition

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