SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / FL / Suwannee

Suwannee 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
Rural north FL county in FPL territory; no solar ordinance or moratorium; stable trajectory; no active developer pipeline; agricultural land available along US 129 / Live Oak corridor; USDA REAP rural energy eligible; primary constraint is absence of developer interest
Assessment Snapshot
Population
44417
State Rank
#17
Compliance
35%
Trajectory
50

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
No solar-specific setbacks; agricultural zone setbacks apply; Suwannee River floodplain and buffer requirements may apply near the river
Zoning Mechanism
CUP required in agricultural zones; county commission review; no established solar permitting process; limited county staff capacity
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
Suwannee County is a small rural north FL county with a timber and agricultural economy; no organized solar opposition; commissioners have not adopted solar positions; FPL serves the county but no active procurement pipeline has targeted Suwannee; large agricultural and timberland parcels along US 129 and US 90 corridors have development potential
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
Commissioner Franklin White (Chair), Commissioner Don Hale, Commissioner Travis Land, Commissioner Leo Mobley

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC / Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) | FPL (NextEra Energy) transmission zone
Utilities
Florida Power & Light (FPL / NextEra Energy), Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative (rural distribution portions of Suwannee County)
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; no active developer pipeline; [TBV FL DEP FPSA registry]
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