43.4

Risk Grade

Good

Upstate industrial county with established solar track record; Duke Energy Carolinas active solar procurement; moderate compliance reflects standard CUP but accommodating process; low saturation with multiple approvals demonstrates viable pathway

Assessment Snapshot

Population

57300

State Rank

#19

Compliance

36%

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

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Cherokee County Planning Commission; County Council approval

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Supportive

Basis for Assessment

Upstate SC county with manufacturing tradition and Duke Energy Carolinas presence; county council pro-development; Gaffney area provides labor force while rural parcels offer siting opportunities; no significant opposition history

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair Tim Spencer | R | Term 2024–2028; Council Member Mike Fowlkes | R | Term 2022–2026; Council Member Doug Wofford | R | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Duke Energy Carolinas

Utilities

Duke Energy Carolinas, Cherokee 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

Gaffney Solar I (~30 MW, 2021); Cherokee Solar Farm (~45 MW, 2022, Duke Energy Carolinas); Limestone Creek Solar (~25 MW, 2024)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Cherokee County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment