SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / TN / Humphreys County

Humphreys County County, TN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

44.6
Risk Grade
Good
Humphreys County scores B as a rural West Tennessee county with minimal regulatory barriers, low saturation, and stable political trajectory. Lake-adjacent uncertainty is modest and site-specific. Post-flood recovery focus has reduced both developer pressure and opposition organizing.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
18,855
State Rank
#19
Compliance
35%
Trajectory
38

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
State minimums apply. No county-specific solar setbacks adopted.
Zoning Mechanism
Humphreys 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
Moderate — rural West Tennessee community; Kentucky Lake area has scenic identity but interior agricultural areas are open to solar development; 2021 flooding (Waverly) has shifted some community attention to resilience/recovery; no organized anti-solar movement
Basis for Assessment
Humphreys County has both lake recreation and agricultural identities; Duck River EMC distributes TVA power in rural areas; the 2021 Waverly flood disaster significantly affected the county and has shifted political priorities toward recovery and flood resilience, which may reduce bandwidth for solar controversy in either direction; interior flat agricultural land provides viable siting terrain
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Mayor Chris Higgins | R | Aug 2026 County Commission (14 members); verify at humphreyscountytn.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
Utilities
Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC), 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
Pre-development solar interest in agricultural interior areas.
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