Marion County, FL — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No specific moratorium information available.

No solar-specific setbacks; agricultural zone setbacks apply; informal community preference for maintaining open pastoral character in horse farm areas, but no adopted standards restricting solar

CUP required in agricultural zones; county commission review; equestrian community may raise visual impact concerns during public hearings but no formal ordinance restrictions

Neutral

Marion County has a strong equestrian and agricultural identity ("Horse Capital of the World"); no formal solar opposition or moratorium; the horse farm community may raise visual and land use concerns at CUP hearings, but county commissioners have not adopted restrictive solar policy; Duke Energy FL IRP procurement may bring future applications to less-equestrian eastern and southern portions of the county

Stable

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.

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.

Duke Energy FL has evaluated Marion County for solar procurement; limited confirmed operational utility-scale projects; equestrian community in northwest Marion may be a siting constraint for some parcels; [TBV FL DEP FPSA registry for approved projects]

None on record