32.9

Risk Grade

Excellent

Marlboro earns a solid B (29.3) reflecting genuinely low regulatory risk in a declining rural county; CUP process is pro forma given council's pro-solar stance, low saturation leaves abundant capacity, and flat Coastal Plain terrain is ideal; primary constraint is limited transmission infrastructure in this rural corner of SC

Assessment Snapshot

Population

26118

State Rank

Compliance

30%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

150 ft from residential structures; 50 ft from road ROW; 50 ft from property lines

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Marlboro County Planning Board; County Council approval for >5 MW

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Supportive

Basis for Assessment

Rural northeastern SC county with strong economic rationale for solar; county council views solar as job and tax revenue source; declining population (-1.8%) creates urgency; flat farmland abundant; Duke Energy Progress PPA pipeline active; two operating projects confirm viability

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair Luther Brown | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Ronnie Gray | D | Term 2022–2026 Council Member Don McLaurin | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Steven Graves | D | Term 2022–2026

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

Bennettsville Solar (~35 MW, 2021, Duke Energy Progress PPA); Marlboro Solar (~28 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

Marlboro County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment