Does Charleston County, South Carolina have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-09-25, Charleston County, South Carolina has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is Charleston County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Charleston County, South Carolina has a SitePath solar permitting grade of C — risk score 42/100 (Elevated Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-09-25.

What are the solar permitting rules in Charleston County, South Carolina?

Ordinance status: Active, restrictive solar ordinance. Score has been stable over the last 12 months. See the full primary-source record — ordinance links, setbacks, board actions, and project history — on this page.

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South Carolina

Charleston County

FIPS 45019

Charleston County, South Carolina: solar permitting grade C (score 42/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 42/100

Elevated Risk

Public summary

Grade	C · Elevated Risk · Score 42/100
Population	408,235
Solar ordinance	Active, restrictive solar ordinance
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Worsening (ordinance direction tightening)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-09-25

Developer outlook

Charleston County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. South Carolina's state policy environment adds headwinds — the absence of a strong RPS framework means county-level resistance faces less counterbalancing pressure.

Local intel

On file: named opposition groups

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

Local governments in Charleston County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.

Charleston citypartly in this county
Folly Beach city
Isle of Palms city
North Charleston citypartly in this county
Awendaw town
Hollywood town
James Island town
Kiawah Island town
Lincolnville town
McClellanville town
Meggett town
Mount Pleasant town
Ravenel town
Rockville town
Seabrook Island town
Sullivan's Island town
Summerville townpartly in this county

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.

Nearby counties

Berkeley County · ≈28 miC43—
Dorchester County · ≈33 miC42—
Colleton County · ≈41 miD54—
Beaufort County · ≈53 miD62—
Georgetown County · ≈57 miC46—
Williamsburg County · ≈59 miB38—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Charleston County ranks #20 of 46 ranked South Carolina counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in South Carolina: Marion County (B · 32), Union County (B · 34), Clarendon County (B · 34). See all South Carolina county grades →

Want the full record?

Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.

Open the full Charleston County profile → Request a demo

About this score

Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →