59.2

Risk Grade

Poor

Post-Camp Fire rebuild environment creates complex permitting backdrop; PG&E grid rebuilding underway in Paradise area; elevated wildfire risk (85 deaths, 2018) increases CEQA scrutiny via fire overlay; population loss (-5.4%) reduces near-term political pressure; compliance burden moderate-high due to overlapping state fire, CEQA, and local CUP requirements

Assessment Snapshot

Population

211632

State Rank

#40

Compliance

52%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

300 ft from occupied structures; 100 ft from property lines; additional buffer in fire-risk overlay zones

Zoning Mechanism

Conditional Use Permit (CUP); CEQA review; Butte County Fire Hazard Severity Zone overlay applies in much of county; CAL FIRE review required in SRA zones

Acreage Caps

None specified

Spacing Rules

None specified

Size Restrictions

Projects >1 MW require CUP; fire overlay areas require additional findings

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed — post-Camp Fire rebuild priorities complicate utility-scale solar permitting; some community interest in solar resilience and microgrid applications

Basis for Assessment

County planning commission records; board of supervisors hearings; Camp Fire Recovery Plan; CAL FIRE consultations

Political Risk Factors

Stable — Worsening

Board Members

Bill Connelly | R | 2026; Debra Lucero | R | 2028; Tami Ritter | D | 2026; Steve Lambert | R | 2028; Doug Teeter | R | 2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

CAISO — PG&E Balancing Authority

Utilities

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)

State Permitting Process

County zoning + CEQA review required; CEC siting jurisdiction for projects >50 MW on state/federal land; Coastal Commission review for coastal zone; DRECP DFAs streamline desert county permitting

State Incentives

Federal ITC eligible; California Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) for storage; CA Renewables Portfolio Standard procurement; CPUC approved procurement programs

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Butte Solar LLC (~8 MW, 2019, Oroville area); Chico Basin Solar (~12 MW, 2022); multiple distributed solar in Chico metro

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None confirmed; some projects delayed by fire-hazard overlay environmental review

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

Butte County, CA — Solar Development Risk Assessment