40.7

Risk Grade

Good

Sumter earns B grade as a rural military-adjacent county with viable solar development outside the Shaw AFB JLUS buffer; three operating projects confirm the CUP pathway is accessible; low-moderate compliance and saturation with stable trajectory; the JLUS buffer zone is a real but manageable constraint given the county's 425,600-acre footprint

Assessment Snapshot

Population

106882

State Rank

#12

Compliance

37%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

150 ft from residential structures; 75 ft from road ROW; 50 ft from property lines; Shaw AFB JLUS buffer setbacks apply within 3-mile APZ radius

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Sumter County Planning Commission; Shaw AFB JLUS compatibility review for parcels within 3 miles of base boundary; County Council final approval for >10 MW

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

Projects within Shaw AFB JLUS zone face heightened review; majority of county acreage is outside restricted zone

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Supportive

Basis for Assessment

Military county with pro-development council; Shaw AFB community familiar with renewable energy; three operating projects confirm accessible CUP pathway outside JLUS buffer; Duke Energy Progress active PPA partner; flat Coastal Plain farmland abundant in areas outside AFB buffer; declining population motivates lease income

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair Vivian Fleming | D | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Artie Baker | R | Term 2022–2026 Council Member James Byrd | D | Term 2024–2028 Council Member John Firetag | R | Term 2022–2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Duke Energy Progress

Utilities

Duke Energy Progress, Sumter Electric Cooperative (SCEMC) — rural portions

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

Sumter Solar (~50 MW, 2020, Duke Energy Progress PPA); Mayesville Solar (~40 MW, 2022); Dalzell Solar (~35 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Sumter County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment