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Pierce County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

42.5
Risk Grade
Good
Rural south Georgia county; no ordinance friction; flat terrain; moderate land availability; typical rural CUP pathway.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
19,400
State Rank
#19
Compliance
38%
Trajectory
38

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
No county-adopted solar setbacks. General zoning setbacks apply; ~50–100 ft from property line, ~150 ft from occupied dwellings. No state floor.
Zoning Mechanism
Pierce 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
Basis for Assessment
Rural south Georgia county near Waycross area; board not opposed to development; conservative but pragmatic rural stance; no organized solar opposition
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
Board of Commissioners | Neal Bennett | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown (Chair); Troy Mattox | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown; Graham Raley | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown; Randy Dixon | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: Unknown; David Lowman | 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), Okefenokee REMC
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 under review in Pierce County; south Georgia flat terrain and low land costs support developer interest.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed county board denials on record for Pierce County.

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