SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / TN / Jefferson County

Jefferson County County, TN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

59
Risk Grade
Poor
Jefferson County scores C-high (Risk 48.35) because the 2023 ordinance with 750 ft setbacks represents a substantial compliance barrier, the political trajectory is clearly worsening as Knoxville exurban growth brings more anti-solar residents, and the withdrawal of multiple large proposals confirms that real-world development difficulty has increased sharply since 2022.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
53,247
State Rank
#44
Compliance
52%
Trajectory
55

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
750 ft from any residential structure; 500 ft from non-participating property lines; 300 ft from public roads; visual screening required. Among the stricter county ordinances in East Tennessee.
Zoning Mechanism
Jefferson County Planning Commission: CUP required in A-1 Agricultural zoning only; County Commission approval required; decommissioning bond at $1,500/acre; public hearing mandatory; SB 2373 (2022).
Acreage Caps
No formal acreage cap but setback stacking effectively limits viable sites.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Resistant — Douglas Lake retirement and recreation community is politically active against utility-scale solar; Appalachian Electric Cooperative territory; growing Knoxville exurban population brings similar anti-industrial-solar suburban sentiment; county commission adopted 2023 ordinance in response to organized opposition
Basis for Assessment
Jefferson County is experiencing rapid growth as a Knoxville exurb (Dandridge area); Douglas Lake is a major recreation/retirement destination whose residents organize politically against utility-scale solar; the 2023 ordinance adoption reflects a county commission that responded to organized opposition by substantially raising barriers; East Tennessee anti-solar network influence is strong
Political Risk Factors
Worsening
Board Members
County Mayor John Kettlewell | R | Aug 2026 Commission Chair; verify full commission at jeffersoncountytn.com

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
One small (~10 MW) commercial project approved prior to ordinance adoption; no large utility-scale approvals since ordinance.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
Multiple large proposals (50–100 MW) withdrawn or scaled back after ordinance adoption and community opposition signaled near-certain denial.

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

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