33.5

Risk Grade

Excellent

Union earns B grade as a declining upstate SC county where the economic development imperative makes regulatory barriers minimal; council is actively pro-solar, compliance is low (CUP straightforward), saturation is very low, and trajectory is stable; primary constraint is limited economic activity and grid infrastructure in this corner of upstate SC

Assessment Snapshot

Population

27316

State Rank

Compliance

33%

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; Broad River flood zone setbacks apply

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via Union 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

Economically distressed former textile county; county council views solar as one of few viable economic development tools; declining population (-1.9%) creates urgency for tax revenue and lease income; Duke Energy Carolinas infrastructure in place; Broad River Electric Cooperative cooperative-area projects viable; one operating project confirms pathway

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

County Council Chair David Landreth | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Harold Thompson | R | Term 2022–2026 Council Member Wayne Alman | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Rebecca Jeter | D | Term 2022–2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Duke Energy Carolinas

Utilities

Duke Energy Carolinas, Broad River 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

Union Solar (~25 MW, 2022, Duke Energy Carolinas PPA)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Union County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment