54.8

Risk Grade

Fair

Spartanburg earns C grade reflecting a bifurcated market: industrial-corridor solar is straightforward and welcomed by the county's manufacturing culture, while rural utility-scale solar faces moderate CUP conditions and growing suburban friction; moderate-high compliance (50) and worsening trajectory driven by rapid growth (+2.4%) and Greenville-area suburban expansion

Assessment Snapshot

Population

320677

State Rank

#25

Compliance

50%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

200 ft from residential structures; 100 ft from road ROW; 75 ft from property lines; decommissioning bond required

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Spartanburg County Planning Commission; County Council final approval for >5 MW; industrial-site solar may be permitted as-of-right on C-2/I-1 zoned parcels

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

Rooftop/carport on industrial sites generally permitted as-of-right; ground-mount >1 MW requires CUP

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed-Supportive

Basis for Assessment

Pro-business manufacturing county with institutional support from BMW and Michelin; county council approves solar CUPs routinely; industrial-area solar viewed very favorably; suburban residential growth bringing NIMBYism to rural areas; four approved projects confirm viable pathway; trajectory slightly worsening as suburban sprawl from Greenville intensifies

Political Risk Factors

Stable-Increasing

Board Members

County Council Chair David Britt | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Jeff Horton | R | Term 2022–2026 Council Member Manning Lynch | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Roger Nutt | R | Term 2022–2026 Council Member Michael Brown | R | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Duke Energy Carolinas

Utilities

Duke Energy Carolinas, Broad River Electric Cooperative (rural south Spartanburg)

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

Pacolet Solar (~35 MW, 2020, Duke Energy Carolinas PPA); Inman Solar (~25 MW, 2021); BMW Group Solar Array (~8 MW rooftop, 2022); Chesnee Solar (~40 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Spartanburg County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment