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Clarendon County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

39.2
Risk Grade
Good
Rural SC Pee Dee county with minimal regulatory friction; flat terrain abundant for utility-scale; very low saturation; high uncertainty reflects limited public documentation of solar policy; tax base incentive strong given county's economic distress
Assessment Snapshot
Population
32502
State Rank
#7
Compliance
24%
Trajectory
26

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
50 ft from property lines (general zoning); no solar-specific setback
Zoning Mechanism
CUP via County Council; minimal review process in rural county
Acreage Caps
None established
Spacing Rules
Not specified
Size Restrictions
None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Supportive
Basis for Assessment
Rural Pee Dee county with flat farmland; declining population and low income make tax base additions from solar highly attractive; no history of solar opposition; county council pro-development
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Council Chair Dwight Stewart | D | Term 2022–2026; Council Member Larry Burgess | D | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC-SE; Duke Energy Progress
Utilities
Duke Energy Progress, Black River 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
Manning Solar (~20 MW, 2022)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None on record

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Last verified: 2026-04-02 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes