Solar permitting — Pasco County, Florida
2 news items, 3 known opposition groups.
Fast-growing Tampa metro exurb; Duke Energy FL territory; no solar ordinance or moratorium; improving trajecto. Permitting: CUP required in agricultural/rural zones. Track record: no prior utility-scale solar on record — greenfield jurisdict…
Key driver: Fast-growing Tampa metro exurb; Duke Energy FL territory; no solar ordinance or moratorium; improving trajectory driven by Duke IRP procurement; large agricultural land base in eastern Pasco; primary constraint is rapid suburbanization reducing available agricultural parcels; USDA REAP rural eligible for eastern areas
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
CUP required in agricultural/rural zones; county commission review; no dedicated solar application process; fast-growing development context may increase CUP hearing scrutiny near new residential areas
Setbacks & buffers
Agricultural zone setbacks apply; no solar-specific setback standards; CUP conditions may include visual buffering near rapidly developing residential areas in western Pasco
Spacing requirements
None established
Size restrictions
No county cap; FPSA applies for facilities >75 MW (FL DEP siting jurisdiction)
Penalties & bonding
No penalties or adjustments. Standard CUP/SUP process.
State-level permits & approvals
Florida Power Siting Act (FPSA) — Florida DEP has siting jurisdiction for facilities >75 MW. Below 75 MW, county land use authority governs via CUP/SUP process. Florida Statute §163.3205 (2024) limits county restrictions on solar in agricultural zones — cannot prohibit as a matter of law. No state-level preemption below 75 MW threshold. FPL (NextEra Energy) dominates utility-scale procurement in southern and eastern FL; Duke Energy Florida serves central west coast; Tampa Electric (TECO) serves Hillsborough/Polk corridor; Florida Power & Light interconnects through FPL transmission. County commission approves CUPs for projects <75 MW in unincorporated areas.
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State policy & grid context
State RPS & clean energy policy
No binding RPS | None | Florida has no state RPS; utility IRPs (TYSP) only
State incentive programs
Florida has no state RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) — only a voluntary goal (100% clean energy by 2050). Key incentives: Federal ITC (30% base + energy community/domestic content adders). Florida Statute §163.3205 (2024) limits local government ability to restrict solar on agricultural land — counties cannot ban solar outright on ag-zoned land. Net metering available. Property tax exemption for residential solar (FL Const. Art. VII §3). No state income tax. USDA REAP for rural projects. FPL, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric IRP programs include significant utility-scale solar procurement.
Grid & interconnection
SERC / Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) | Duke Energy Florida transmission zone
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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting
No confirmed county BESS ordinance.
Local BESS ordinances & bylaws
County-level battery-storage status, safety requirements, and projects — each linked to a primary source.
Community opposition P1 2 tracked
Organized opposition signals on record for this county — petitions, community groups, and oppositional coverage — each linked to its primary source.
- Pasco County approves data center moratorium Data center
- Pasco County commissioners advance a moratorium on large-scale data centers after dozens of residents voiced concerns. Data center
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Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
- 🔒Project track record
- 🔒Developer intelligence
- 🔒Community & board sentiment
- 🔒Governing board
Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Sentiment rollup P2
No sentiment rollup yet (requires meeting transcripts to be processed).
Local news P3
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