SC Counties Should Support Responsibly Sited Solar Projects

March 27, 2025

While it is true that there is no perfect energy source that doesn’t have its drawbacks, solar farms or ‘utility-scale solar’ provide clean, affordable, and resilient power that can create economic and environmental benefits to communities across the state. Over the past several years, we’ve seen a rise in misinformation, disinformation, and influence from bad faith groups tied to oil and gas that have led to opposition of solar and other clean energy resources. With this in mind, we want to ensure all South Carolinians have the most up-to-date information regarding solar farms.

Solar Siting and Permitting

In South Carolina, solar energy projects are subject to local review and approval, and must comply with local land-use, planning, and zoning regulations which can have a significant impact on the growth of solar energy. Some local government approaches inadvertently discourage solar development by imposing arbitrary and onerous restrictions that unnecessarily limit the availability of land. However, if local regulations are established with care, they can create incentives, remove barriers, and enact standards for responsible solar development that minimize impacts and balance community needs.¹

There are approaches that developers can take to minimize impacts to land, habitat, and water resources when siting solar energy projects. These can include siting projects on previously disturbed or altered landscapes, prioritizing areas that will make use of existing power line infrastructure, and avoiding wetlands and ecologically sensitive areas, among other approaches.¹ Effective county-level solar ordinances often include safety considerations such as glare prevention measures, noise restrictions, and fencing requirements; aesthetic considerations such as setback minimums, height restrictions, and lighting requirements; and economic and conservation considerations such as decommissioning requirements (now required by SC state law), visual landscape standards, and vegetative buffer requirements.²

Land Utilization

According to reports from the state’s three primary utilities, solar energy will more than quadruple by 2035. This anticipated expansion of the solar industry does not represent a significant threat to the state’s agricultural sector. The specific land requirements for the expected amount of new solar energy generation over the next decade would utilize a maximum of 1.4 percent of agricultural land in South Carolina by 2035 (assuming all new solar generation was placed on agricultural land and not on previous industrial land, forests, woodlands, etc). This utilization represents just 0.2 percent of all acreage in South Carolina. See Figure 7 below.³

“Solar farms are among the least impactful of land uses, yet we over-regulate them without any logical basis.”- Tom Terrell, Cattle Farmer & Partner at Fox Rothschild

Economic Impact

Businesses in South Carolina are increasingly seeking access to local renewable energy.⁴ With this projected expansion of the solar industry in mind, the total annual economic impact of the solar industry on the state of South Carolina is estimated to rise from its current level of approximately $306.6 million (in 2024) to nearly $1.4 billion by 2035. This level of economic activity is also estimated to generate 3,315 permanent jobs by 2035 – up from 728 in 2024 which currently pay about 46% more than the average job in South Carolina. Additionally, when combining the economic impacts associated with new site development and construction with the impacts of ongoing operations and maintenance for all operational solar facilities, the cumulative economic impact of the solar industry on the state of South Carolina between 2024 and 2035 is projected to total approximately $19 billion.³

“Unfortunately, too many county commissioners ignore private property rights and make decisions on solar farms based on whether neighbors are mad, or struggle because they cannot separate a local land use decision from political ideology. One has nothing to do with the other. We know that solar farms are safe and do not harm private property values, yet commissioners give credence to contrary claims because people shout them loud enough. The real issue is that people are averse to change.” –Tom Terrell, Cattle Farmer & Partner at Fox Rothschild

Solar and Farming

Farmers choose to lease portions of their land to solar developers because lease payments offer consistent revenues and long-term security for farmers and their families over the project’s ~30-year lifetime. This can be increasingly valuable to farmers who want to keep and pass down farmland to family members, but face decreasing and unstable crop prices with increasing costs.⁵

While most large, ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are installed on land used only for solar energy production, it is possible to co-locate solar and agriculture on the same land, which could provide benefits to both the solar and agricultural industries.⁷ Solar installations that preserve native ecosystems and create habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects can potentially save on operations and maintenance costs over the life of the project. Additionally, different crops can thrive under the partial shade of solar installations while foraging livestock can manage vegetation under solar arrays, reducing maintenance costs and the need to use herbicides.⁸

“I have seen the value of deploying solar and other alternative revenue streams in conjunction with farmland. It galls me that a politician thinks they know better than a farmer how we should use our land. If people really want to support agricultural communities, why not give us the option to diversify and make money instead of losing it, and for a fraction of the labor? Why oppose the opportunity to convert to solar?”⁶ –Tom Terrell, Cattle Farmer & Partner at Fox Rothschild

Environmental Impact

Fossil fuel-fired power plants remain a leading source of air, water, and land pollution that affects communities nationwide. Coal ash contains contaminants such as mercury and arsenic that can pollute water bodies and soil. Fossil fuel-fired power plants are also a significant source of emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide which can contribute to more extreme weather events and adverse health impacts to humans and ecosystems. However, solar energy is an emission-free, abundant, and clean energy source that can contribute to improved air quality and overall improved public health.⁵ It also uses significantly less water for operation than coal, gas, and nuclear generation. In fact, solar energy co-located with agriculture or native vegetation can help soil retain moisture and improve water use efficiency.

Transitioning to clean energy is critical for communities that face an increasing risk of extreme weather conditions, including drought, extreme heat, and hurricanes. Solar energy has been proven to be a reliable form of electricity generation during extreme weather events, even when other forms of generation fail. Solar facilities often continue to power communities during severe weather and, if shut down, can be restarted faster than other forms of energy.¹ As an example, NC Sustainable Energy Association and Greentech Renewables Raleigh partners with the Footprint Project and Land of Sky Regional Council to provide clean energy resources and microgrid in Western North Carolina when so many were without power for a week or more after Hurricane Helene. These microgrids, which consisted of solar plus battery storage systems, were able to keep the lights on for several neighborhoods and communities.⁹

“I would estimate that about half the landowners I interact with are large timber companies or large-acreage row-croppers who are wisely looking to diversify their income for protections against droughts, unforgiving market fluctuations, hurricanes and flooding, and the increasingly high cost of equipment, labor, fuel, and other goods. The best way for governments to support farming is to allow this diversification, not fight it.” –Tom Terrell, Cattle Farmer & Partner at Fox Rothschild

We hope the information we provided on solar farm installations was helpful. Feel free to check out other common solar misconceptions on our website. We appreciate you doing your part in staying informed and are always available should you have further questions!

Contact Erin Siebert, Energy Policy Associate