SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / LA / Webster Parish

Webster Parish County, LA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

44.8
Risk Grade
Good
Northwest Louisiana parish; Minden seat; Cleco Power MISO grid; Haynesville Shale natural gas production heritage creates mild cultural skepticism toward solar; timber and pasture land available at moderate density (64.4/sq mi); declining population (-2.5%) increases interest in lease revenue; standard CUP with moderate political engagement; C-grade borderline reflecting modest compliance score from oil/gas identity friction and moderate uncertainty from energy culture transition
Assessment Snapshot
Population
38340
State Rank
#24
Compliance
45%
Trajectory
42

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft from property lines; 300 ft from occupied structures
Zoning Mechanism
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) — Webster Parish Police Jury
Acreage Caps
None established
Spacing Rules
None established
Size Restrictions
None established

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral — Haynesville Shale natural gas identity creates mild skepticism toward solar; declining population increases economic development interest; Police Jury generally pro-development; no organized opposition
Basis for Assessment
Webster Parish Police Jury; Minden Press-Herald; Cleco Power; MISO queue
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
Webster Parish President + Police Jury — websterparishla.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
Minden-area agricultural solar ground-mount (approx. 7 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Denied/Withdrawn Projects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