SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / TN / Anderson County

Anderson County County, TN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

63.5
Risk Grade
Poor
Oak Ridge/Anderson County presents a mixed environment: educated, tech-forward population near ORNL offsets some rural NIMBYism, but suburban expansion from Knoxville metro and limited flat agricultural land constrain large-scale solar viability. Compliance stringency is moderate-high, trajectory worsening as county formalizes review standards.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
76,978
State Rank
#47
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
48

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
750 ft from occupied dwellings per county planning guidance; 300 ft from public roads; 150 ft from non-participating property lines. No formally codified solar-specific setback ordinance adopted.
Zoning Mechanism
Anderson County Planning Commission: CUP in Agricultural (A-1) or Rural Residential zoning under SB 2373 (2022); Board of Zoning Appeals review for projects >5 MW.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Mixed — Oak Ridge nuclear heritage community has both pro-technology openness and strong environmental protection sentiment; utility-scale solar faces moderate opposition from rural landowners but research/government sector is favorable
Basis for Assessment
Anderson County hosts Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex; community is science-literate but protective of rural character; NIMBYism present near suburban fringe; TVA corridor access a net positive
Political Risk Factors
Worsening
Board Members
Terry Frank | R | Aug 2026 (County Mayor) County Commission (25 members); verify current roster at andersoncountytn.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
Utilities
Appalachian Electric Cooperative (TVA distributor), Tennessee Valley Authority (wholesale)
State Permitting Process
County zoning authority under SB 2373 (2022); no state solar preemption; conditional use permit or special exception typically required; decommissioning bond often required; setback standards increasingly codified
State Incentives
Federal ITC eligible; no Tennessee state solar tax credit; TVA Green Power Switch program available

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Clinch River Solar LLC (approximately 75 MW, TVA interconnection, Anderson/Roane county area) | Development stage; TVA interconnection queue 2023
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No formally denied projects on record; East Tennessee Electric Cooperative territory planning scrutiny has slowed some proposals.

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Last verified: 2026-04-02 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes