63.6

Risk Grade

Poor

East TN mountains with coal mining heritage; Oneida area; strong extractive-economy identity; mountainous terrain sharply limits solar viability; regulatory posture influenced by coal-era politics; worsening trajectory

Assessment Snapshot

Population

22082

State Rank

#48

Compliance

56%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Not codified; commission expected to apply maximum scrutiny

Zoning Mechanism

CUP per SB 2373; decommissioning bond required; strong commission scrutiny expected; access road and grid cost challenges

Acreage Caps

None formal

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Cautious to opposed

Basis for Assessment

Coal mining heritage creates skepticism toward outside energy interests; rural identity strongly protective; population decline adding economic pressure but not translating to solar openness

Political Risk Factors

Worsening

Board Members

County Executive: Billy Manse | R | 2026; Commission: Republican, coal-country conservative

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

TVA

Utilities

Scott 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

None approved; one pre-application inquiry not advanced

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None formally denied (no applications reached commission hearing)

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Scott County, TN — Solar Development Risk Assessment