42.8

Risk Grade

Good

Large SC county with industrial base and Santee Cooper territory; moderate compliance reflects more active planning department but accommodating history; slightly elevated saturation reflects multiple approved projects; strong grid infrastructure

Assessment Snapshot

Population

230209

State Rank

#16

Compliance

38%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

150 ft from residential structures; 75 ft from road ROW; 50 ft from non-residential property lines

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Berkeley County Planning Board; County Council final approval; Santee Cooper coordination required in cooperative service areas

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Supportive

Basis for Assessment

Fast-growing suburban/industrial county; Santee Cooper partnership active in rural areas; I-26 logistics corridor culture is pro-development; county council historically approves energy projects; rural eastern Berkeley has ample flat farmland

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair Johnny Cribb | R | Term 2024–2028; Council Member Josh Whitley | R | Term 2022–2026; Council Member Tommy Newell | R | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Dominion Energy South Carolina; Santee Cooper

Utilities

Dominion Energy South Carolina, Santee Cooper / Berkeley 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

Cross Solar (~50 MW, 2021, Santee Cooper PPA); Bonneau Solar (~35 MW, 2022); Huger Solar (~65 MW, 2023, Dominion Energy SC); Berkeley Logistics Solar (~30 MW, 2024)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Berkeley County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment