SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / GA / Macon

Macon County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

42.2
Risk Grade
Good
Very rural southwest Georgia county; flat farmland; no ordinance friction; low saturation; declining population supports landowner lease interest.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
13,100
State Rank
#18
Compliance
38%
Trajectory
38

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
No county-adopted solar setbacks. General zoning setbacks apply. No state floor in Georgia.
Zoning Mechanism
Macon County: Conditional use permit in Agricultural zoning for utility-scale solar (>1 MW); Board of Commissioners approval.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral to Slightly Favorable
Basis for Assessment
Very rural, low-income southwest Georgia county; Oglethorpe area; declining population; board receptive to revenue opportunities; flat farmland attractive to developers
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
Board of Commissioners | Carl Oliver | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown (Chair); Ben Haugabook | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown; A. Richmond Felton | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown; Mickey George | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown; Bob Melvin | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown — 5-member body; party affiliations not publicly listed

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
Southern Company / Georgia Power transmission zone; Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) | SERC reliability region
Utilities
Georgia Power (Southern Company), Flint 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
One or two solar projects on record or in development; southwest Georgia flat farmland supports developer interest.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed county board denials on record for Macon County.

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