SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / TX / Coryell

Coryell County, TX — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

30.5
Risk Grade
Excellent
Grade A: No ordinance, no moratorium. Fort Cavazos drives federal-backed solar at scale (15 MW operational + microgrid in development). Federal energy community status may enable ITC bonus adder for projects within designated boundaries [TBV]. Pro-development local environment with military-community alignment.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
83093
State Rank
#16
Compliance
35%
Trajectory
20

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
None codified.
Zoning Mechanism
No county ordinance — by-right in unincorporated areas. Federal installation energy decisions made within base perimeter independently of county zoning.
Acreage Caps
None.
Density Caps
None.
Spacing Rules
None.
Size Restrictions
None.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Positive — federal energy security mandate drives solar investment; military-civilian community supportive of energy resilience.
Basis for Assessment
Gatesville county seat; Fort Cavazos (largest active-duty US military installation) drives renewable investment; United Cooperative Services (UCS) territory; Pct 1: Kyle Matthews; Pct 2: Scott Weddle; Pct 3: Ryan Basham; Pct 4: Ray Ashby; County Judge; R-majority.
Political Risk Factors
Improving
Board Members
County Judge Roger Miller, Commissioner Pct. 1 Kyle Matthews, Commissioner Pct. 2 Scott Weddle, Commissioner Pct. 3 Ryan Basham, Commissioner Pct. 4 Ray Ashby

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
ERCOT
Utilities
United Cooperative Services (UCS), Multiple retail providers (50+ in county)
State Permitting Process
No state siting board for solar in Texas. PUCT regulates utilities; ERCOT manages interconnection for ERCOT service territory (most of state); SPP governs Panhandle/northwest TX. County Commissioners Court governs unincorporated areas under Texas Local Government Code. Many rural TX counties have NO zoning authority — solar is essentially by-right without county approval requirement. HB 2527 (2023) requires counties with solar ordinances to provide a 'reasonable' permitting framework. No statewide preemption prevents county restrictions. ERCOT interconnection queue is severely congested — grid study delays of 2-4+ years common.
State Incentives
Texas has no state RPS mandate. Key incentives: Federal ITC (30% base + bonus adders for energy communities/domestic content). Property tax abatement via Chapter 312/313 successor frameworks (county-level negotiation required). ERCOT wholesale market provides strong merchant revenue stack. No state income tax benefits developer HQ decisions. USDA REAP available for rural projects.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Fort Cavazos On-Base Solar — 15 MW (63,000 panels, 132 acres); part of 65 MW hybrid renewable system with 50 MW wind; operational; provides ~40% of base energy needs; Dominion Energy partnership. Fort Cavazos Microgrid — $5M energy resilience grant (Feb 2024); 25 critical facilities + 5 housing communities; in development with Dominion Energy and City of Copperas Cove.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
None documented.

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Last verified: April 2026 (web research) | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes