Person County, NC — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

None codified. No confirmed county-specific setbacks.

Person County Board of Adjustment/Board of Commissioners: Special Use Permit (SUP) or Conditional Use Permit (CUP).

Mixed — active solar development with growing community concern; NC State Extension hosting solar impact meetings; farmland conversion concerns dominant; county CUP still functioning

NC NC agricultural; Roxboro area; Person County held NC State Extension community meetings Jan 2025 on solar impacts; active solar; county CUP; growing concern about farmland conversion

Stable

Full local control — no statewide preemption for siting and permitting of utility-scale solar. County Board of Commissioners issues Special Use Permit (SUP) or Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for utility-scale solar under county Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). All sizes subject to local zoning; no threshold for state takeover. NCUC Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) required for utility-owned generation; IPP developers selling to Duke/Dominion under PURPA or competitive procurement typically handle NCUC process through utility. NC DEQ: decommissioning plan registration required for ≥2 MW (SL 2023-58, eff. Nov 1 2025); DEQ rules (15A NCAC 01V) effective April 1, 2025. NC land use law (2021) modernized ordinance language and clarified solar provisions. N.C.G.S. §160D-107: counties may adopt temporary moratoria on solar permits (limited duration, must be reasonable). Davidson County: 24-month moratorium enacted Dec 17, 2024 (expires Dec 2026) while developing new solar ordinance. Halifax County: temporary moratorium Oct 2024 — expired Feb 2025; new ordinance provisions pending. Farmland preservation concerns are the dominant local issue — NC has lost significant prime farmland to solar. Grid: SERC throughout NC. Duke Energy Progress (eastern/central), Duke Energy Carolinas (western/piedmont/mountains), Dominion Energy NC (northeastern corner). NC EMCs serve rural areas as distribution cooperatives.

NC REPS (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard): 12.5% by 2021 (met); Duke Energy Carolina/Progress subject to ongoing carbon plan compliance (100% clean by 2050). Duke Energy CPRE (Competitive Procurement of Renewable Energy) program: ongoing solicitations. NC CPCN process for utility-owned facilities via NCUC. Community solar/Green Source Advantage: Duke Energy program for large commercial customers. Net metering under Duke Energy 'Smart Saver' program (NCUC approved 3-year glide path 2025). Property tax PILOT: county-negotiated agreements common. Utility: Duke Energy Progress (eastern/central NC); Duke Energy Carolinas (western/Piedmont NC); NCEMC and local EMCs serve rural areas.

Active solar development area — Person County community meeting held Jan 23 2025 in Roxboro (NC State Extension Jan 2025). Duke Energy Progress serves Person County. 77 counties with solar include Person (EnergyNC 2022). Multiple utility-scale farms present based on state data.

Unnamed solar farm | 920 acres / 80 MW | SUP denied | Aug 2021 | Reason: Board of commissioners unanimously denied special-use permit; moratorium enacted on large solar farms