37.7

Risk Grade

Good

South Georgia flat farmland with established solar development track record; Thomasville is regionally progressive; moderate saturation risk building; overall favorable conditions

Assessment Snapshot

Population

44720

State Rank

Compliance

30%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

300 ft from residential; 75 ft from road ROW

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via county BOC; Thomasville city planning commission for city projects; public hearing

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral-to-Supportive

Basis for Assessment

South Georgia; Thomasville rose festival city; flat farmland; progressive for South Georgia; open to solar as economic development; some tourism economy sensitivity

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

Board of Commissioners | Mark NeSmith | R | Term Expires: 2028 (Chair); Rev. Jeremy G. Rich | R | Term Expires: 2026; Kenneth E. Hickey | R | Term Expires: 2026; Donnie L. Baggett | R | Term Expires: 2026; Moses L. Gross | R | Term Expires: 2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Georgia Power / Southern Company (SOCO)

Utilities

Georgia Power, Thomas & Hutts EMC / Plantation Pipeline

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

Thomas County Solar I (~50 MW, 2021); Thomasville Solar Farm (~25 MW, 2022); Pelham Road Solar (~10 MW, 2020)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Thomas County County, GA — Solar Development Risk Assessment