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Florence County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

41.8
Risk Grade
Good
Florence is the strongest solar development county in SC's Pee Dee region; Duke Energy Progress PPA pipeline well-established; flat Coastal Plain terrain ideal; experienced planning process reduces uncertainty; moderate saturation from 5 projects still leaves meaningful capacity in large 505,000-acre county
Assessment Snapshot
Population
138293
State Rank
#14
Compliance
34%
Trajectory
32

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft from residential; 75 ft from road ROW; 50 ft from property lines
Zoning Mechanism
CUP via Florence County Planning Commission; County Council final approval for >25 MW
Acreage Caps
None established
Spacing Rules
Not specified
Size Restrictions
None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Supportive
Basis for Assessment
Pee Dee regional hub with Duke Energy Progress partnership; flat agricultural land abundant; county council pro-economic development; five operating/approved solar farms demonstrate strong track record; planning commission experienced and streamlined
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Council Chair Kent Caudle | R | Term 2024–2028; Council Member Jason Springs | R | Term 2022–2026; Council Member Waymon Mumford | D | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
SERC-SE; Duke Energy Progress
Utilities
Duke Energy Progress, Pee Dee 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
Florence Solar I (~55 MW, 2020, Duke Energy Progress PPA); Timmonsville Solar (~40 MW, 2021); Coward Solar (~35 MW, 2022); Lake City Solar (~45 MW, 2023); Effingham Solar (~30 MW, 2024)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects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