37.2

Risk Grade

Good

B-grade reflects low compliance burden with minor exception of Army Corps review near Lake Hartwell shoreline; agricultural inland land base favorable; stable political environment; NE Georgia location with adequate solar resource; standard rural Georgia profile with minor lake proximity consideration

Assessment Snapshot

Population

25894

State Rank

Compliance

38%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

100 ft from property lines; 200 ft from residences; road setbacks per GDOT; Lake Hartwell shoreline buffer per Corps of Engineers management plan; vegetative screening encouraged

Zoning Mechanism

CUP from Hart County Board of Commissioners; Army Corps review for Lake Hartwell shoreline proximity; planning commission advisory; public hearing required

Acreage Caps

No formal cap

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral-to-receptive; agricultural community receptive; lake community has aesthetic preferences but not organized opposition; Hartwell city government neutral

Basis for Assessment

Hart County Commission minutes; Hartwell Sun; Georgia Power; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District; GEFA

Political Risk Factors

Stable; conservative rural county; agricultural community receptive to solar lease income; lake community may have aesthetic preferences near shoreline; commission broadly pro-development; no organized opposition active

Board Members

[Board of Commissioners] | See county website | Non-Partisan | Term Expires: Unknown

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC / Georgia Power (Southern Company)

Utilities

Georgia Power, Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation (limited northern 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 inland agricultural portions of county, ~15–20 MW, 2020–2023; NE Georgia grid interconnection; Georgia Power territory

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None confirmed

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Hart County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment