SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / GA / Richmond County

Richmond County County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

44.8
Risk Grade
Good
Augusta metro unified government; moderately favorable but urban land constraints and military proximity create complexity; active solar development history
Assessment Snapshot
Population
202518
State Rank
#28
Compliance
42%
Trajectory
40

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
300–500 ft from residential zones; 100 ft from road ROW; additional buffer near Fort Gordon (JBCC) military zone
Zoning Mechanism
CUP via Augusta-Richmond Planning Commission; unified government review; JBCC encroachment assessment for large projects near military installation
Acreage Caps
No formal cap; project-by-project review
Density Caps
None formal
Spacing Rules
Evaluated case-by-case
Size Restrictions
None formal beyond CUP requirements

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral-to-Supportive
Basis for Assessment
Augusta metro; pro-development unified government; proximity to Fort Gordon Cyber Command drives some caution near military zones; urban/suburban mix
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
Augusta-Richmond County Commission | Mayor Garnett Johnson | D | Term Expires: 2026 (Mayor); Jordan Johnson | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2028 (District 1); Tony Lewis | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2026 (District 2); Stacy Pulliam | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2026 (District 3); Tina Slendak | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2028 (District 4); Catherine Smith-Rice | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2028 (District 5); Brandon Garrett | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2026 (District 6); Lonnie Wimberly | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2026 (District 7); Francine Scott | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2028 (District 8); Don Clark | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2028 (District 9); Wayne Guilfoyle | Party unconfirmed | Term Expires: 2026 (District 10) — 10-member consolidated government body

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC-SE; Georgia Power / Southern Company (SOCO)
Utilities
Georgia Power
State Permitting Process
County zoning authority; no state solar preemption; conditional use permit (CUP) typically required for utility-scale (>1 MW)
State Incentives
Federal ITC eligible (30% base + adders); no Georgia state solar tax credit; Georgia Power IRP solar procurement program

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Georgia Power Solar (Augusta area, ~25 MW, 2021); Hephzibah Solar Farm (~40 MW, 2023); Augusta Solar Center (~15 MW, 2019)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None on record

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

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