57.4

Risk Grade

Fair

Cumberland Plateau county with coal heritage and extractive-economy identity; topography limits flat buildable area; regulatory posture wary of industrial solar; commission scrutiny high

Assessment Snapshot

Population

21854

State Rank

#39

Compliance

56%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Not codified; commission has informally signaled reluctance

Zoning Mechanism

CUP per SB 2373; decommissioning bond required; strong commission scrutiny expected

Acreage Caps

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Cautious to opposed

Basis for Assessment

Coal heritage culture skeptical of outside energy interests; rural identity strongly protective of land-use norms

Political Risk Factors

Worsening

Board Members

County Executive: Richard Bias | R | 2026; Commission: Republican, rural-conservative

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

TVA

Utilities

Morgan County Electric Cooperative, Tennessee Valley Authority (wholesale)

State Permitting Process

County zoning authority under SB 2373 (2022); conditional use permit or special exception required; decommissioning bond often required; setback standards increasingly codified at county level

State Incentives

Federal ITC eligible; no Tennessee state solar tax credit; TVA Green Power Switch program

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Morgan County Solar (~10 MW, 2022)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

One application stalled indefinitely 2024 (commission skepticism)

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Morgan County, TN — Solar Development Risk Assessment