SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / TN / Chester County

Chester County County, TN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

37.1
Risk Grade
Good
Chester County scores B due to minimal ordinance, low solar saturation, and stable trajectory. Small county size limits some economies of scale for large projects, but flat West Tennessee terrain and low regulatory barriers make appropriately-scaled projects feasible.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
17,131
State Rank
#6
Compliance
30%
Trajectory
35

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
State minimums apply. No county-specific solar setbacks adopted.
Zoning Mechanism
Chester County Planning Commission: CUP in Agricultural zoning; County Commission review per SB 2373 (2022).
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Quiet rural West Tennessee; small farming community; minimal solar development pressure; no organized opposition
Basis for Assessment
Chester County is a small, stable rural county in West Tennessee; Southwest Tennessee EMC serves the area; flat terrain in portions is suitable for solar but county has not been a target of significant utility-scale development; limited organizing either for or against solar
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Mayor Barry Hutcherson | R | Aug 2026 County Commission (14 members); verify at chestercountytn.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
Utilities
Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation (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
No confirmed utility-scale solar approvals on record.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed denials.

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