SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / TX / Crane

Crane County, TX — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

36.5
Risk Grade
Good
Grade A: No ordinance, no moratorium. Strong 400+ MW pipeline (2027 target) via Ch. 313 reinvestment zone. Tax abatements secured. Permian Basin economics support large-scale development despite oil/gas cultural dominance. Oncor transmission infrastructure available.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
4675
State Rank
#22
Compliance
35%
Trajectory
20

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
None codified.
Zoning Mechanism
No ordinance — by-right in unincorporated areas. Chapter 313 successor tax abatement negotiated through Crane ISD reinvestment zone.
Acreage Caps
None.
Density Caps
None.
Spacing Rules
None.
Size Restrictions
None.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Supportive — commissioners court engaged with Ch. 313 abatement applications; economic opportunity framing emphasized.
Basis for Assessment
Crane county seat; Oncor TDU (deregulated retail market, 49+ providers); Permian Basin oil/gas economy; Ch. 312/313 abatement actively used; R-majority board.
Political Risk Factors
Improving
Board Members
See cranecountytx.gov/commissioners for current commissioners court members

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
ERCOT
Utilities
Oncor Electric Delivery
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
Crane I Solar Electric LLC (Tri-X Solar 1) — 201.5 MW; ERCOT queue; expected Q4 2027. Crane II Solar Electric LLC — 205 MWac, ~1,500 acres, Crane ISD reinvestment zone; Ch. 313 abatement filed; expected construction Q1 2027. Emerald Grove Solar LLC — Ch. 313 abatement application (2021), Crane ISD reinvestment zone.
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