SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / AR / Sebastian

Sebastian County, AR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

50
Risk Grade
Fair
Fort Smith metro county; second-largest AR city; SWEPCO/OG&E dual service; SPP interconnection; urban and industrial core limits utility-scale sites; Arkansas River corridor; three approved projects; high saturation in available areas; C-grade reflecting urban complexity
Assessment Snapshot
Population
127897
State Rank
#28
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
44

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
Mixed - Fort Smith metro; urban/industrial core; limited rural land; economic development support
Basis for Assessment
Sebastian County Planning Commission; Fort Smith Times Record; Arkansas Western Gas stakeholder context
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Judge (R); 9-member Quorum Court - sebastiancountyar.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SPP / SWEPCO & OG&E
Utilities
Southwestern Electric Power (SWEPCO), OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric)
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
Fort Smith Solar I (18 MW, 2019); Sebastian County Industrial Solar (22 MW, 2021); River Valley Energy (15 MW, 2022)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects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