Robeson County, NC — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

Robeson County: 2019 solar ordinance setback details not confirmed in public sources. Moratorium discussion Dec 2024 -- amendments pending. Verify current setbacks directly with Robeson County Planning Department. 6 ft fencing; buffer/screening typical. Financial surety for decommissioning.

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

Generally receptive — economic development interest; Lumbee Nation tribal consultation adds process layer; high saturation

SC NC agricultural; Lumberton area; Lumbee Tribe nation; active solar; high saturation; tribal consultation for some sites; county CUP

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.

40 individual solar farms on record | Combined significant MW | County SUP/CUP approvals 2012-2025 | Robeson County has most solar farms in NC by count (NCSEA/WHQR Apr 2023). Only 1% of 183,565 agricultural acres designated for solar as of Jan 2025 (Center for Energy Education, Roanoke Rapids). Representative project: Maxton Solar. Developer quote: solar keeps family land together for 20-40 year lease terms. Source: NCSEA via WHQR; Center for Energy Education; Border Belt Independent Jan 22 2025

POTENTIAL MORATORIUM UNDER CONSIDERATION (Dec 2024): County Commissioners discussed moratorium after approving 700-acre solar farm expansion in NE corner. Concerns: farmland conversion, soil erosion leading to flooding, lack of adequate regulations. Assistant County Attorney Ed Brooks: want correct litmus test — ensure solar more beneficial than detrimental. No formal moratorium vote confirmed as of Mar 2026. Source: Border Belt Independent borderbelt.org Jan 22 2025