SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / WA / Pierce

Pierce County, WA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

35.8
Risk Grade
Good
JBLM land restrictions and growing rooftop saturation are primary risk factors; Tacoma Power pro-solar municipal utility significantly moderates regulatory risk.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
921,130
State Rank
#8
Compliance
32%
Trajectory
35

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
Pierce County code: setback requirements for utility-scale solar; JBLM airspace and military buffer zone considerations apply.
Zoning Mechanism
Pierce County: CUP in Agricultural Resource zones; Pierce County Hearing Examiner; Board of County Commissioners.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Supportive — Tacoma climate action plan; Tacoma Power pro-solar municipal utility; county board supportive; growing suburban population drives residential demand
Basis for Assessment
Tacoma Power (municipal) serves Tacoma and surroundings; PSE serves suburban areas; JBLM is largest US Army installation and largest county employer; Mount Rainier NP in SE; strong sustainability commitments; Puyallup Tribe has energy interests; Tacoma tideflats industrial area has brownfield solar potential
Political Risk Factors
Improving
Board Members
Board of Pierce County Councilors (7 members) | Partisan elections | 4-yr terms | Pierce County-City Building, Tacoma WA

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
WECC / BPA Transmission — Tacoma Power and PSE service territory; South Puget Sound grid
Utilities
Tacoma Power (City of Tacoma), Puget Sound Energy (PSE)
State Permitting Process
Large facilities (≥350 MW): EFSEC exclusive jurisdiction. <350 MW: county CUP/SUP; no statewide preemption floor. SEPA review required. GMA energy siting required in comprehensive plans. SMA applies near shorelines. Critical Areas Ordinances: wetlands, fish habitat, flood zones require county CAO compliance. Ag land conversion: county-specific farmland protection policies apply.
State Incentives
Washington Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA/SB 5116, 2019): IOUs carbon-neutral by 2030; 100% carbon-free by 2045. Net metering: ≤100 kW IOU customers under WUTC; PUDs set individual limits. RESIP: production incentives for ≤100 kW systems. Sales & use tax exemption (RCW 82.08.962). Property tax exemption (RCW 84.36.635). Community solar via PSE, SnoPUD, Tacoma Power, Clark Public Utilities, and most WA PUDs. PACE financing in participating counties. Federal ITC: 30% (IRA 2022); 10% low-income adder for qualifying projects.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Multiple commercial and community solar installations in Tacoma; Tacoma Power community solar program has enrolled hundreds of customers; commercial rooftop pipeline in Fife, Puyallup, and Lakewood industrial areas; limited greenfield utility-scale due to JBLM and urban density.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed utility-scale denials; JBLM buffer zones effectively exclude large land areas.

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Last verified: 2026-04-01 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes