SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / FL / Wakulla

Wakulla 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 adjacent to Tallahassee; no solar ordinance or moratorium; stable trajectory; significant public conservation land limits private solar opportunity; no active developer pipeline; USDA REAP rural eligible; primary constraint is limited private agricultural land due to conservation land dominance
Assessment Snapshot
Population
33739
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; St. Marks NWR and Apalachicola NF buffer areas may limit some parcels; coastal and wetland setbacks apply near Apalachee Bay
Zoning Mechanism
CUP required in agricultural zones; county commission review; no formal 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; significant public land constrains private development area

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral
Basis for Assessment
Wakulla County is a rural conservation-adjacent county near Tallahassee; no organized solar opposition; large public land areas (St. Marks NWR, Apalachicola NF) reduce private solar opportunity; Talquin Electric Cooperative serves most households; no confirmed developer interest
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
See wakullacountyfl.gov/bcc for current board members

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC / Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) | Talquin Electric Cooperative (distribution) / FPL (NextEra Energy) transmission zone
Utilities
Talquin Electric Cooperative (primary distribution), Duke Energy Florida (transmission; portions of Wakulla 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; very limited private agricultural land due to conservation land dominance; no active developer pipeline; [TBV FL DEP FPSA registry]
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None on record

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

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