SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / FL / Franklin

Franklin County, FL — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

45.5
Risk Grade
Good
Small coastal panhandle county with significant conservation/coastal land; Gulf Power territory; no solar ordinance; very low saturation; stable trajectory; practical development constraint is conservation land availability
Assessment Snapshot
Population
11829
State Rank
#17
Compliance
35%
Trajectory
50

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
Standard zoning setbacks apply | No county-specific solar setbacks established
Zoning Mechanism
CUP (Conditional Use Permit) in agricultural/rural zones; by-right for rooftop/small commercial
Acreage Caps
None established
Density Caps
None established
Spacing Rules
None established
Size Restrictions
No county cap; FPSA applies for facilities >75 MW (FL DEP siting jurisdiction)

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral
Basis for Assessment
Very small coastal panhandle county; Gulf Power territory; majority conservation and coastal land limits utility-scale solar potential; no solar ordinance; stable passive posture
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
Commissioner Ricky Jones (D1/Chair), Commissioner Cheryl K. Sanders (D2), Commissioner Anthony Croom Jr. (D3), Commissioner Ottice D. Amison (D4), Commissioner Jessica Varnes Ward (D5/VC)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC / FRCC | Gulf Power (NextEra Energy) transmission zone
Utilities
Gulf Power (NextEra Energy), CHELCO (Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative) — partial
State Permitting Process
Florida Power Siting Act (FPSA) — Florida DEP has siting jurisdiction for facilities >75 MW. Below 75 MW, county land use authority governs via CUP/SUP process. Florida Statute §163.3205 (2024) limits county restrictions on solar in agricultural zones — cannot prohibit as a matter of law. No state-level preemption below 75 MW threshold. FPL (NextEra Energy) dominates utility-scale procurement in southern and eastern FL; Duke Energy Florida serves central west coast; Tampa Electric (TECO) serves Hillsborough/Polk corridor; Florida Power & Light interconnects through FPL transmission. County commission approves CUPs for projects <75 MW in unincorporated areas.
State Incentives
Florida has no state RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) — only a voluntary goal (100% clean energy by 2050). Key incentives: Federal ITC (30% base + energy community/domestic content adders). Florida Statute §163.3205 (2024) limits local government ability to restrict solar on agricultural land — counties cannot ban solar outright on ag-zoned land. Net metering available. Property tax exemption for residential solar (FL Const. Art. VII §3). No state income tax. USDA REAP for rural projects. FPL, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric IRP programs include significant utility-scale solar procurement.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Very limited utility-scale activity | Apalachicola Bay conservation land limits development | [TBV]
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None on record

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Last verified: April 2026 (web research) | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes