39.2

Risk Grade

Good

Small rural upstate SC county with Duke Energy Carolinas grid presence; low compliance burden; flat-to-rolling terrain; prior solar approvals set favorable precedent; minimal organized opposition

Assessment Snapshot

Population

24527

State Rank

Compliance

28%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

50 ft from property lines; 150 ft from residential structures (county guidelines)

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Abbeville County Planning & Development; County Council approval for large-scale projects

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Supportive

Basis for Assessment

Small upstate agricultural county; Duke Energy Carolinas territory with active solar procurement; county council has approved prior CUPs without significant opposition; low population density

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair Jimmy Lightfoot | R | Term 2024–2028; Council Member David Brown | R | Term 2022–2026; Council Member Keith Smith | R | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Duke Energy Carolinas

Utilities

Duke Energy Carolinas, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative

State Permitting Process

County zoning authority; no state solar preemption; special exception or conditional use permit typically required for utility-scale (>1 MW); decommissioning bond increasingly required

State Incentives

Federal ITC eligible; SC state income tax credit for solar (25% up to $35,000 for commercial); SC Energy Freedom Act net metering provisions

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Abbeville Solar (~20 MW, 2022, Duke Energy Carolinas PPA); Pine Ridge Solar (~15 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Abbeville County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment