36.5

Risk Grade

Good

Dense Orlando suburb with virtually no utility-scale solar land; Duke Energy FL territory; strong sustainability policy (Green Works) creating improving trajectory; no moratorium; high score (44) reflects density/land constraint not policy hostility; Duke Energy FL virtual IRP procurement serves county renewable goals

Assessment Snapshot

Population

471826

State Rank

#11

Compliance

45%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

No solar-specific setbacks; standard agricultural zone setbacks apply; high urban density means most parcels are too small for utility-scale; Duke Energy FL virtual procurement serves county renewable goals

Zoning Mechanism

CUP required in agricultural zones; county commission review; Green Works sustainability orientation makes commissioners receptive; limited agricultural land means few CUP applications have been filed

Acreage Caps

None established; urban density is the effective constraint

Density Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

None established

Size Restrictions

No county cap; FPSA applies for facilities >75 MW; urban density makes utility-scale development essentially impossible within county

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Supportive

Basis for Assessment

Seminole County and its municipalities (Sanford, Casselberry, Oviedo, Winter Springs, Altamonte Springs) have sustainability programs and are supportive of solar; no opposition; primary constraint is absence of land for utility-scale development in this densely built suburb; Duke Energy FL virtual procurement satisfies clean energy goals

Political Risk Factors

Improving

Board Members

See seminolecountyfl.gov/bcc for current board members

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC / Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) | Duke Energy Florida transmission zone

Utilities

Duke Energy Florida, City of Longwood Utilities (small municipal service area within Longwood city limits)

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

No confirmed utility-scale solar projects within Seminole County; Duke Energy FL procures solar for Seminole customers via offsite statewide IRP generation; Green Works municipal solar installations (rooftop/carport); [TBV Duke Energy FL IRP for Seminole County virtual solar procurement]

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Seminole County, FL — Solar Development Risk Assessment