64.2

Risk Grade

Poor

York earns high-C grade (54.3) reflecting the Charlotte suburb squeeze: viable agricultural land in western county confirms some development opportunity, but high compliance (58), rapidly worsening trajectory (56), and the 2023 Fort Mill denial signal escalating difficulty; this county is on a clear trajectory toward D-grade as suburban conversion accelerates — the viable window in western York County may be 3–5 years

Assessment Snapshot

Population

273183

State Rank

#32

Compliance

58%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

250 ft from residential structures; 150 ft from road ROW; 100 ft from property lines; 400 ft from residential subdivisions (>10 lots); decommissioning bond required; visual screening and landscaping mandatory

Zoning Mechanism

CUP via York County Planning Commission; County Council final approval required; heightened review for parcels adjacent to residential growth zones; decommissioning bond standard

Acreage Caps

None established

Spacing Rules

Not specified

Size Restrictions

Utility-scale (>10 MW) near Charlotte metro corridors faces significant opposition; viable only in western rural county

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed-Opposed

Basis for Assessment

Charlotte suburb dynamic dominates: western rural areas support solar as farmland income, eastern suburb corridor (Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Rock Hill) intensely opposed; 2023 Fort Mill Solar denial demonstrates council responsiveness to suburban opposition; fastest-growing SC county (+4.2%) rapidly converting viable agricultural land to residential; trajectory worsening; York Electric Cooperative eastern rural territory remains more viable

Political Risk Factors

Increasing

Board Members

County Council Chair Robert Winkler | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Allison Love | R | Term 2022–2026 Council Member Joel Hamilton | R | Term 2024–2028 Council Member Christi Cox | R | Term 2022–2026 Council Member Britt Blackwell | R | Term 2024–2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

SERC-SE; Duke Energy Carolinas

Utilities

Duke Energy Carolinas, York Electric Cooperative (eastern rural York County)

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

Clover Solar (~35 MW, 2020, Duke Energy Carolinas PPA, western county); York Solar (~30 MW, 2022); Kings Mountain-area Solar (~25 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

Fort Mill Solar (45 MW, 2023, denied after council vote 3-4; intense community opposition from Fort Mill residential homeowners; 600+ petition signatures; council chair dissenting; cited proximity to subdivision)

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York County County, SC — Solar Development Risk Assessment