SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / GA / Carroll

Carroll County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

59
Risk Grade
Poor
C-grade reflects rising trajectory risk from organized suburban opposition; moderate compliance risk from evolving CUP standards; suburban expansion limiting suitable agricultural parcels
Assessment Snapshot
Population
119992
State Rank
#65
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
55

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft from property lines; 300 ft from residences; 100 ft visual screening buffer (recent CUP conditions)
Zoning Mechanism
CUP from Carroll County Board of Commissioners; planning commission review; public hearing required; growing community engagement
Acreage Caps
No formal cap; CUP discretion
Density Caps
None formally adopted
Spacing Rules
Not specified in current code
Size Restrictions
None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Mixed-to-negative in suburban areas; organized homeowner opposition emerging; rural landowners more favorable
Basis for Assessment
Times-Georgian (Carrollton); Carroll County BOC meetings 2022-2023; community Facebook groups active
Political Risk Factors
Increasing; suburban expansion from Atlanta brings mixed attitudes; organized solar opposition emerging from homeowner groups in 2022-2023
Board Members
[Board of Commissioners] | Michelle Morgan (Chair) | Republican | Term Expires: 2028; Montrell McClendon (District 1) | Republican | Term Expires: 2028; Clint Chance (District 2) | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Eddie Ivey (District 3) | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Steve Fuller (District 4) | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Ben Hicks (District 5) | Republican | Term Expires: 2028; Danny Bailey (District 6) | Republican | Term Expires: 2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC / Georgia Power (Southern Company)
Utilities
Georgia Power, Carroll 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 projects (~60 MW combined) 2020-2022; Carroll Solar Farm (~35 MW) and one smaller project
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
1 project faced significant opposition (2023); outcome pending as of 2026

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