51.8

Risk Grade

Fair

Urban county with limited utility-scale land; moderate compliance risk from active planning oversight; urban political dynamics increase trajectory risk versus rural counties

Assessment Snapshot

Population

153159

State Rank

#47

Compliance

45%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Varies by zone; 150-300 ft from residential zones in industrial CUP conditions

Zoning Mechanism

CUP from Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning; Board of Commissioners approval for large projects

Acreage Caps

No formal cap; site availability limits scale

Density Caps

None formal

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

Effectively limited by available parcel size

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed; urban community more divided; industrial areas receptive; residential neighborhoods cautious

Basis for Assessment

Macon Telegraph; Macon-Bibb BOC meeting minutes 2022-2023

Political Risk Factors

Increasing-moderate; mixed urban politics; consolidated government has pro-development and residential preservation factions

Board Members

[Mayor-Commission (Macon-Bibb Unified Government)] | Mayor: Lester Miller | Republican | Term Expires: 2025

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC / Georgia Power (Southern Company)

Utilities

Georgia Power, N/A (consolidated urban service territory)

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 commercial/industrial solar projects; 1 ground-mount (~15 MW on former industrial site, 2022); rooftop portfolio ongoing

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None publicly confirmed

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Bibb County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment