38.6

Risk Grade

Good

Rural Lowcountry SC county with minimal regulatory burden; flat farmland and timber land suitable for utility-scale; low saturation with established solar precedent; slightly elevated uncertainty reflects limited planning documentation

Assessment Snapshot

Population

37636

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 Colleton County Council; minimal planning review

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Supportive

Basis for Assessment

Rural Lowcountry county with timber and farming economy; flat terrain ideal for solar; Dominion Energy SC active in territory; county council approves energy projects without significant friction; no active opposition groups

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair Paul Wiggins | R | Term 2022–2026; Council Member Steven Murdaugh | R | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Dominion Energy South Carolina

Utilities

Dominion Energy South Carolina, Palmetto 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

Walterboro Solar (~30 MW, 2022); Cottageville Solar (~20 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Colleton County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment