SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / TN / Coffee County

Coffee County County, TN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

43.7
Risk Grade
Good
Coffee County scores B as a stable central Tennessee county with a functional CUP ordinance, moderate compliance stringency, flat agricultural land in viable areas, and an industrial community identity that is relatively open to energy development. The risk is primarily from potential ordinance tightening as more projects enter the pipeline.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
58,055
State Rank
#17
Compliance
40%
Trajectory
40

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
300 ft from occupied dwellings; 150 ft from non-participating property lines; 50 ft from public roads. County has adopted standard CUP setback framework without aggressive enhancement.
Zoning Mechanism
Coffee County Planning Commission: CUP in Agricultural (A-1) zoning required; County Commission approval for projects >20 acres; decommissioning bond required; Tullahoma Utilities and DREMC coordinate on interconnection.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Moderate-positive — Manchester/Coffee County community has industrial heritage (Arnold AFB, Jack Daniel's Lynchburg adjacent) and is relatively open to energy development; DREMC cooperative members in rural areas show interest in lease income; no organized anti-solar movement
Basis for Assessment
Coffee County sits in central Tennessee with flat farmland in western portions suitable for utility-scale solar; Manchester has an industrial identity that moderates anti-solar sentiment; DREMC and Tullahoma Utilities provide reliable TVA-connected distribution; the county has processed solar CUPs without significant controversy
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Mayor Gary Cordell | R | Aug 2026 Commission Chair; verify full commission at coffeecountytn.com

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
Utilities
Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC), Tullahoma Utilities Authority / 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
Manchester Solar Project (approximately 40 MW, Coffee County agricultural land) | Approved 2023 | Under construction Small commercial projects near Tullahoma industrial park
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