San Juan County, WA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

No county-specific solar setbacks; shoreline and critical area regulations apply extensively on island terrain.

San Juan County: land use permit in applicable zones; San Juan County Planning Dept and Board of County Commissioners.

Neutral — island community broadly supportive of renewables but no utility-scale opportunity; community and rooftop solar viable; diesel offset economics drive interest

San Juan County PUD serves islands; ferry-only access; no significant utility-scale solar potential due to geography; community microgrids and rooftop solar are primary focus; Friday Harbor and Orcas Island communities have some solar installations; diesel displacement is primary economic driver

Stable

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.

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.

San Juan County PUD has rooftop and small-scale solar net metering; some residential installations on San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez Islands; PUD islanding study has identified community solar as resilience tool.

No formal denials on record; no utility-scale applications filed.