38.6

Risk Grade

Good

Nuclear/DOE cultural adjacency makes Barnwell among SC's most permissive counties for energy projects; very low compliance risk; flat Coastal Plain terrain; established solar precedent; slightly elevated uncertainty reflects limited public documentation of solar policy specifics

Assessment Snapshot

Population

20866

State Rank

Compliance

26%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

50 ft from property lines; 150 ft from residential (general county code)

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via County Council; minimal planning commission review; nuclear waste facility precedent establishes strong industrial land use culture

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Very Supportive

Basis for Assessment

County with nuclear waste facility and SRS adjacency; deeply industrial in culture; county council actively supports energy sector investment; flat rural terrain with abundant available farmland

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair Doris Shuler | D | Term 2022–2026; Council Member Anthony Gathers | D | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Dominion Energy South Carolina

Utilities

Dominion Energy South Carolina, Tri-County 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

Barnwell Solar I (~30 MW, 2021); Snelling Solar (~25 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Barnwell County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment