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Floyd County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

44
Risk Grade
Good
C-grade reflects moderate compliance pathway with TVA interconnection complexity, stable political environment, and limited agricultural land base relative to rural SW Georgia counties; TVA territory adds procedural cost but not insurmountable; industrial heritage supports development framing
Assessment Snapshot
Population
97761
State Rank
#24
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
52

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft from residences; 100 ft from property lines; road setbacks per GDOT; vegetative screening encouraged
Zoning Mechanism
CUP from Floyd County Board of Commissioners; planning commission advisory; public hearing required; TVA interconnection study required for projects
Acreage Caps
No formal cap
Density Caps
None formally adopted
Spacing Rules
Not specified
Size Restrictions
None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral; industrial heritage creates pro-development baseline; Rome city government focused on economic development; limited organized opposition to solar; some aesthetic concerns in residential areas near Rome city
Basis for Assessment
Floyd County Commission minutes; Rome News-Tribune; TVA service territory records; Etowah EMC; GEFA
Political Risk Factors
Stable; Rome and Floyd County have industrial heritage creating general pro-development culture; some suburban growth in eastern county near Rome metro; commission broadly receptive to economic development; no organized anti-solar movement active
Board Members
[Board of Commissioners] | Rhonda Wallace (Chair, Post 1) | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Mike Burns (Post 2) | Republican | Term Expires: 2028; Allison Watters (Post 3) | Republican | Term Expires: 2028; David Thornton (Post 4) | Republican | Term Expires: 2026; Scotty Hancock (Vice Chair, Post 5) | Republican | Term Expires: 2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
TVA / Etowah Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) and Rome City Board of Lights & Water Works
Utilities
Rome Board of Lights & Water Works (Rome municipal — TVA distributor), Etowah Electric Membership Corporation (rural portions)
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
Approximately 1 utility-scale project in rural Floyd County portions, ~20–30 MW, 2020–2023; TVA interconnection; Rome grid area
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None confirmed

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