SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / GA / Colquitt

Colquitt County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

55.4
Risk Grade
Fair
C-grade despite high saturation score (60) because political trajectory is stable and compliance framework is well-developed; risk is saturation-driven, not opposition-driven; interconnection queuing is the primary emerging concern
Assessment Snapshot
Population
45498
State Rank
#61
Compliance
44%
Trajectory
48

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft from property lines; 300 ft from occupied residences; vegetative screening fence/buffer required
Zoning Mechanism
CUP from Colquitt County Board of Commissioners; public hearing required; planning commission advisory; among South Georgia's most formal solar permitting processes
Acreage Caps
No formal acreage cap; cumulative impact review under discussion 2023
Density Caps
Under consideration as of 2023 given high saturation
Spacing Rules
Not specified in current ordinance
Size Restrictions
None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Favorable-to-mixed; landowners strongly favor lease income; some community discussion about cumulative landscape change; no organized opposition
Basis for Assessment
Moultrie Observer; Colquitt County BOC minutes 2021-2023; South Georgia agricultural media
Political Risk Factors
Stable; conservative rural county but commission broadly receptive to solar as primary economic development driver; agricultural landowners strongly favor lease income
Board Members
[Board of Commissioners] | Denver Braswell (Chair) | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Barbara Jelks | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Chris Hunnicutt | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Marc DeMott | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Mike Boyd | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Paul Nagy | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Johnny Hardin | Republican | Term Expires: 2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC / Georgia Power (Southern Company)
Utilities
Georgia Power, Thomas-Colquitt 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
5+ utility-scale projects (~200+ MW combined) 2017-2024; Colquitt County Solar (~60 MW, 2018), Moultrie Solar (~45 MW, 2020), Mitchell Solar (adjacent county spillover), 2 additional projects 2022-2024
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None confirmed; county has been broadly receptive

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