Risk Grade

Poor

Oconee earns D grade reflecting the structural conflict between lakefront anti-industrial sentiment and solar development; the 2022 Lake Keowee Solar denial (45 MW) demonstrated that council will reject well-sited projects under lakefront community pressure; high compliance (60) and worsening trajectory (58) place this squarely in D territory; only interior/forested non-lake-visible parcels remain viable

Assessment Snapshot

Population

76696

State Rank

#33

Compliance

60%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

300 ft from residential structures; 200 ft from road ROW; 150 ft from property lines; visual screening mandatory; viewshed assessment required for lake-visible parcels

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Oconee County Planning Commission; County Council approval with heightened conditions; viewshed/visual impact analysis required for parcels within 2 miles of lake shoreline

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

Large-scale (>20 MW) faces substantial opposition in lake-proximate areas; interior/forested parcels may be viable

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed-Opposed

Basis for Assessment

Lake Keowee and Hartwell waterfront communities are intensely opposed to utility-scale solar citing viewshed and property value impacts; Oconee Nuclear Station community has mixed feelings on competing energy infrastructure; Seneca city area more receptive; council majority currently reflects lake-community concerns after 2022 denial; trajectory worsening

Political Risk Factors

Increasing

Board Members

County Council Chair Julian Davis | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Matthew Durham | R | Term 2022–2026 Council Member Glenn Hart | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Paul Cain | R | Term 2022–2026 Council Member Edda Cammick | R | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Duke Energy Carolinas

Utilities

Duke Energy Carolinas, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative (mountain communities)

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

Walhalla Solar (~15 MW, 2021, Duke Energy Carolinas, interior rural site); Seneca Commerce Park Solar (~8 MW rooftop/carport, 2022)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

Lake Keowee Solar (45 MW, 2022, denied after council vote 4-3 following 300+ public comments from lakefront communities; viewshed impacts cited)

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Oconee County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment