53.2

Risk Grade

Fair

Growing NW Georgia county balancing industrial development and suburban expansion; moderate compliance and trajectory risk from evolving CUP standards

Assessment Snapshot

Population

110138

State Rank

#54

Compliance

50%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

150 ft from property lines; 300 ft from residences (per recent CUP conditions)

Zoning Mechanism

CUP from Bartow County Board of Commissioners; planning commission advisory

Acreage Caps

No formal cap; CUP discretion

Density Caps

None formal

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed; business community favorable; residential areas near solar sites show concern

Basis for Assessment

Cartersville Daily Tribune; BOC meeting minutes 2022-2023

Political Risk Factors

Increasing; conservative but economically pro-development; some NIMBY resistance near suburban areas

Board Members

Board of Commissioners | Steve Taylor | R | Term Expires: 2026 (Sole Commissioner)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC / Georgia Power (Southern Company)

Utilities

Georgia Power, Tri-County EMC

State Permitting Process

County zoning authority; no state solar preemption; conditional use permit typically required for utility-scale (>1 MW)

State Incentives

Federal ITC eligible; no Georgia state solar tax credit; Georgia Power IRP solar procurement program

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

2 utility-scale projects (~60 MW combined) 2020-2022; Cartersville area industrial solar

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None confirmed

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Bartow County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment