Risk Grade

Poor

Erwin TN; narrow East TN mountain valleys; Nolichucky River gorge; very limited flat buildable terrain; mountain character limits utility-scale viability; worsening regulatory posture from terrain and community identity combination

Assessment Snapshot

Population

17906

State Rank

#49

Compliance

58%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Not codified; commission expected to apply heightened scrutiny given mountain setting

Zoning Mechanism

CUP per SB 2373; decommissioning bond required; steep terrain and narrow valley floor sharply limit eligible parcels

Acreage Caps

None formal; practical constraint from terrain

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Cautious to opposed

Basis for Assessment

Erwin TN narrow mountain valley; Nolichucky River gorge community identity; limited flat land eliminates most developer interest; worsening posture

Political Risk Factors

Worsening

Board Members

County Executive: Ginger Lyons | R | 2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

TVA

Utilities

Erwin Utilities, 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; no applications at hearing stage

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None formally denied (no applications reached commission)

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