SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / TN / Cocke County

Cocke County County, TN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

66
Risk Grade
Poor
Cocke County receives a D grade due to extreme terrain barriers (Smoky/Bald Mountains limiting viable land to narrow river valleys), rapidly worsening anti-solar political trajectory driven by tourism/recreation identity, and strong community resistance that would face any developer with a hostile political environment even for valley-sited projects.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
36,004
State Rank
#51
Compliance
62%
Trajectory
65

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
No county-specific solar setbacks codified. State minimums apply. Terrain provides natural barriers; anti-solar organizing provides political barriers.
Zoning Mechanism
Cocke County Planning Commission: CUP in Agricultural/Rural zoning per SB 2373 (2022). Limited planning staff. County Commission approval required for large projects.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Strongly resistant — Great Smoky Mountains/Pigeon River area community with powerful tourism, rafting/outdoor recreation, and scenic preservation identity; anti-industrial sentiment broadly present across county leadership and organized civic groups
Basis for Assessment
Cocke County is known for the Pigeon River whitewater and Great Smoky Mountains gateway recreation; Newport area has some manufacturing but the dominant community identity is outdoor recreation and scenic tourism; anti-solar organizing is reinforced by regional networks connecting Blount, Sevier, Carter, and Cocke county opponents; terrain severely limits viable sites anyway
Political Risk Factors
Rapidly Worsening
Board Members
County Mayor Crystal White | R | Aug 2026 County Commission (14 members); verify at cockecountytn.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
Utilities
Cocke County Electric System (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 in Cocke County.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No formal denials; developer community has effectively self-selected out of Cocke County due to terrain and political barriers.

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