42.5

Risk Grade

Good

Vast Eastern Sierra/Death Valley county with very low population density (~1.77/sq mi); DRECP DFA coverage in southern portions; LADWP dominates as transmission owner due to Owens Valley water rights legacy creating political complexity; Death Valley National Park borders limit siting options; Owens Valley communities remain wary of large infrastructure from outside; viable but politically nuanced development environment

Assessment Snapshot

Population

18039

State Rank

Compliance

35%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

200 ft from occupied residences; 100 ft from property lines; buffer from LADWP Owens Valley water system infrastructure

Zoning Mechanism

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for county land; DRECP DFA streamlines federal/state land permitting; LADWP approval required for transmission access; CEQA review required

Acreage Caps

None specified

Spacing Rules

None specified

Size Restrictions

Projects >1 MW on county land require CUP; federal land in DFA streamlined

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed — Owens Valley communities have historical sensitivity to LADWP resource extraction; some support for solar as local economic development; tribal cultural concerns in desert areas

Basis for Assessment

County planning records; LADWP resource plan documents; BLM Palm Springs Field Office; tribal consultation records

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

Jeff Griffiths | D | 2026; Matt Kingsley | R | 2028; Mark Tillemans | R | 2026; Rick Pucci | R | 2028; Dan Tucker | R | 2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power) — separate balancing authority for most of county

Utilities

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Southern California Edison (SCE) — portions of eastern county

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

Manzana Wind/Solar hybrid project area; Owens Valley distributed solar; Southern Inyo Solar (~15 MW, 2021, Death Valley adjacent federal land); several smaller BLM ROW projects

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None confirmed

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Inyo County, CA — Solar Development Risk Assessment