47.9

Risk Grade

Fair

Extreme northwest California county bordering Oregon; dense coastal redwood and mixed conifer forest severely limits utility-scale solar viability; relatively low solar irradiance for California (~1,500 kWh/kW vs 1,800-2,200 in desert); very limited grid capacity and transmission connectivity; Coastal Commission jurisdiction adds regulatory complexity; not viable for utility-scale development

Assessment Snapshot

Population

28610

State Rank

#23

Compliance

50%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

150 ft from occupied residences; 50 ft from property lines

Zoning Mechanism

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for utility-scale; CEQA required; Coastal Commission jurisdiction in coastal zones

Acreage Caps

None specified

Spacing Rules

None specified

Size Restrictions

Projects >500 kW likely require CUP; no formal threshold established

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral — very remote community; limited engagement on solar issues; no organized developer interest

Basis for Assessment

No substantive board votes on utility-scale solar; minimal public record of solar-specific hearings

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

Chris Howard | R | 2026; Valerie Starkey | D | 2028; Gerry Hemmingsen | R | 2026; Frank Burns | R | 2028; Joey Borges | 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

Minimal distributed solar only; no utility-scale projects on record

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Del Norte County, CA — Solar Development Risk Assessment