54.4

Risk Grade

Fair

Increasing board resistance to large-scale solar on irrigated agricultural land; conservative culture; CAP water infrastructure limits some siting options; trajectory trending restrictive.

Assessment Snapshot

Population

38,533

State Rank

Compliance

44%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Graham County ZO: 150 ft from property lines for utility-scale solar in Agricultural zones. Additional setbacks from canals and irrigation infrastructure (Central Arizona Project extension area).

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Graham County Planning & Zoning Commission, Board of Supervisors final approval. Strong agricultural land protection sentiment.

Acreage Caps

None formally codified; board has expressed concern about loss of irrigated agricultural land.

Density Caps

None codified.

Spacing Rules

None codified.

Size Restrictions

No formal restriction; board scrutiny increases for projects on irrigated agricultural land.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Conservative board, increasing resistance to utility-scale solar on prime agricultural land; LDS-majority county with strong land stewardship values; Phelps Dodge Morenci mine closure effects still shaping local economy.

Basis for Assessment

Graham County supervisors are conservative Republicans; agricultural community in Gila Valley (Safford) concerned about solar displacing irrigated farmland; board trending more cautious as solar proposals increase.

Political Risk Factors

Worsening

Board Members

Graham County Board of Supervisors: Dawneen Laughter (District 1) | R | 2026; Paul David (District 2) | R | 2026; Danny Smith (District 3) | R | 2026.

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Arizona Public Service (APS) / Western Interconnection (WECC)

Utilities

Arizona Public Service (APS) — Pinnacle West Capital, Duncan Valley Electric Cooperative — southeastern Graham County

State Permitting Process

Graham County CUP via Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Arizona One-Stop Shop. ADWR water rights review. FAA coordination. ACC review if applicable for larger projects feeding into APS transmission.

State Incentives

No binding Arizona RPS. Federal ITC/PVTC. Arizona solar property and sales tax exemptions. CAP water rights negotiation required for any projects using CAP water.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Safford area commercial solar | Various small | Permitted Graham County solar farm (private landowner) | ~5 MW | CUP approved 2022

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

No formal county-level denials; some projects not pursued after board signaled opposition.

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Graham County, AZ — Solar Development Risk Assessment