SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / LA / Vernon Parish

Vernon Parish County, LA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

40.8
Risk Grade
Good
Southwest Louisiana parish; Leesville seat; Cleco Power MISO grid; Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk) U.S. Army installation with federal land constraints but large private pine timber and pasture area available; low density (35.7/sq mi); standard CUP with minor federal buffer consultation near cantonment; Cleco service territory with reliable interconnection process; B-grade reflects large rural land area, low compliance barriers, permissive Police Jury, and minimal saturation risk
Assessment Snapshot
Population
47429
State Rank
#14
Compliance
35%
Trajectory
28

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft from property lines; 300 ft from occupied structures; federal buffer zone consultation required near Fort Johnson cantonment area
Zoning Mechanism
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) — Vernon Parish Police Jury; federal consultation required near Fort Johnson buffer
Acreage Caps
None established
Spacing Rules
None established
Size Restrictions
None established

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral — military community with pragmatic economic development approach; Police Jury pro-development; Cleco service territory well-established; no organized opposition outside Fort Johnson buffer
Basis for Assessment
Vernon Parish Police Jury; Leesville Daily Leader; Cleco Power; U.S. Army Fort Johnson; MISO queue
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
Vernon Parish President + Police Jury — vernonparish.org

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
MISO / Cleco Power
Utilities
Cleco Power
State Permitting Process
Parish zoning authority; no state solar preemption; conditional use permit typically required for utility-scale (>1 MW); no mandatory decommissioning bond statewide (some parishes require it)
State Incentives
Federal ITC eligible; Louisiana sales tax exemption for solar equipment; Louisiana property tax exemption for solar; no state income tax credit for commercial solar

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Leesville-area agricultural solar ground-mount (approx. 8 MW, 2022)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None known

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Last verified: 2026-04-02 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes