44.3

Risk Grade

Good

Rural upstate SC county with multiple approved solar projects; low-to-moderate compliance burden; Duke Energy Carolinas active procurement supports feasibility; slightly elevated uncertainty reflects limited ongoing planning documentation

Assessment Snapshot

Population

32326

State Rank

#21

Compliance

34%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

100 ft from residential; 50 ft from property lines (informal guidelines)

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Chester County Planning; 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

Rural upstate county with established solar precedent; Duke Energy Carolinas grid; county council approves CUPs routinely; rolling terrain in some areas but flat sections of county suitable for utility-scale; no organized opposition

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair Brad Jordan | R | Term 2024–2028; Council Member Joe Branham | R | Term 2022–2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Duke Energy Carolinas

Utilities

Duke Energy Carolinas, York 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

Chester Solar I (~25 MW, 2021); Lewisville Solar (~35 MW, 2022); Black Rock Solar (~20 MW, 2023, Duke Energy Carolinas PPA)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Chester County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment