Union County, AR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

46.4
Risk Grade
Good
South AR county; El Dorado seat; oil/gas heritage (Murphy Oil); economic diversification interest; Entergy grid; MISO; low density; two approved projects; B-C boundary reflecting transitioning economy and moderate complexity
Assessment Snapshot
Population
39732
State Rank
#21
Compliance
44%
Trajectory
42

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
Neutral-Mixed - El Dorado oil heritage; economic transition sentiment; some support for diversification
Basis for Assessment
Union County Judge; El Dorado News-Times; Murphy Oil legacy community context
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Judge (R); 9-member Quorum Court - unioncountyar.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
MISO / Entergy Arkansas
Utilities
Entergy Arkansas, South Arkansas 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
El Dorado Solar I (25 MW, 2021); Union County Energy Farm (32 MW, 2023)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None known

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