SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / FL / Washington

Washington 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 rural Gulf Power panhandle county; no solar ordinance or moratorium; stable trajectory; agricultural land available along US 90 and SR 77 corridors; no active developer pipeline; USDA REAP rural energy eligible; Gulf Power IRP may drive future pipeline activity; primary constraint is absence of confirmed developer interest
Assessment Snapshot
Population
25473
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 by default per general LDC
Zoning Mechanism
CUP required in agricultural zones; county commission review; no formal solar pre-application process; very 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
Washington County is a small rural panhandle county with an agricultural and timber economy; no organized solar opposition; commissioners are focused on economic development and would likely welcome utility-scale solar as a revenue source; Gulf Power serves the county and has IRP commitments for northwest FL solar; large agricultural parcels along US 90 and SR 77 corridors have development potential
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
Commissioner Alan T. Bush (D1), Commissioner David Pettis Jr. (D2), Commissioner Tray Hawkins (D3), Commissioner Wesley Griffin (D4), Commissioner David Corbin (D5)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC / Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) | Gulf Power (NextEra Energy) transmission zone
Utilities
Gulf Power Company (NextEra Energy / FPL Group), CHELCO — Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (rural distribution portions of Washington 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; rural panhandle agricultural land available; [TBV FL DEP FPSA registry and Gulf Power IRP for Washington County]
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