52.2

Risk Grade

Fair

Rural South Georgia county in solar development zone; declining population and economy make landowners receptive; moderate saturation as development progresses regionally

Assessment Snapshot

Population

16846

State Rank

#51

Compliance

40%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Standard rural setbacks; no solar-specific code

Zoning Mechanism

CUP from Ben Hill County Board of Commissioners

Acreage Caps

No formal cap

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Receptive; declining rural economy makes lease income attractive to landowners

Basis for Assessment

Fitzgerald Herald; county records limited

Political Risk Factors

Stable; conservative rural county; limited organized opposition; economic development pressures override resistance

Board Members

Board of Commissioners | Hal Wiley | R | Term Expires: 2026 (Chair); Hope Harmon | R | Term Expires: 2026 (Vice Chair); Bennie Calloway | R | Term Expires: 2028; John Mooney | R | Term Expires: 2028; Daniel Cowan | R | Term Expires: 2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC / Georgia Power (Southern Company)

Utilities

Georgia Power, Irwin 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

1 project (~20-30 MW) approved 2021-2022 in Fitzgerald area

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None confirmed

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

Ben Hill County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment