29.2

Risk Grade

Excellent

Most populous Kansas county and fastest-growing major county; wealthy KC suburb with no county solar ordinance; high land values and suburban density limit utility-scale solar but distributed solar is booming; Evergy Metro serves most of the county.

Assessment Snapshot

Population

609863

State Rank

Compliance

25%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Johnson County setbacks: ≥50 ft from project boundary for structures; ≥250 ft from existing non-participating dwellings; ≥150 ft from project boundary for substations/BESS; setback may be increased if project abuts non-participating parcel on 2+ sides or ≥50% of boundary.

Zoning Mechanism

Johnson County Commissioners: CUP in Agricultural (A-1) district.

Acreage Caps

Max 1,000 acres per USSF project; 10,391 acres total available in unincorporated county (2022).

Density Caps

10,391 acres total available for USSFs in unincorporated county (2022 analysis).

Spacing Rules

≥2 miles from another USSF in unincorporated county; ≥2 miles from any incorporated city boundary.

Size Restrictions

None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Cautious/neutral — rural Kansas county; no documented solar board votes or organized opposition on public record as of Mar 2026.

Basis for Assessment

Kansas counties retain full zoning authority over solar siting (no state preemption); R-majority rural board typical of Kansas plains counties; SPP grid territory; limited utility-scale solar development in region to date.

Political Risk Factors

Improving

Board Members

Board of County Commissioners | 3 members | 4-yr staggered terms | Partisan elections | All R per 2024 results

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SPP (Southwest Power Pool)

Utilities

Evergy Metro, Evergy Kansas Central

State Permitting Process

No statewide siting preemption for utility-scale solar. County-level conditional use permits (CUPs) required. Significant local opposition emerging: Sedgwick Co. moratorium 2023-2024; Butler Co. banned solar in Flint Hills 2023; Harvey Co. banned large utility solar. Some counties have quarter-mile or half-mile setback buffers (Kearney Co.; Gage Co.).

State Incentives

No Kansas RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard). Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) approves utility-scale cost recovery. Kansas Sky Energy Center (Douglas County, 159 MW) approved by KCC July 7 2025 ($228M, Evergy). SPP (Southwest Power Pool) grid. No property tax exemption for solar. Evergy (formerly Westar + KCP&L) serves eastern KS; Sunflower Electric serves western KS.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Johnson County has largest population in Kansas (609,000+). Johnson County adopted solar regulations requiring 1.5-mile buffer between solar farms and city boundaries — some of most restrictive in Kansas (KLC Journal Mar 8 2024). Multiple commercial/rooftop solar projects in Johnson County (Overland Park, Olathe area). KCP&L (Evergy) serves Johnson County. Very limited ground-mount utility-scale solar — urban density and 1.5-mile buffer rules constrain development.

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

Johnson County's 1.5-mile setback from city limits effectively blocks most ground-mount solar in this heavily suburban county. No confirmed formal project denials — regulatory framework deters applications.

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Johnson County, KS — Solar Development Risk Assessment