South Carolina solar permitting

Grade distribution

Overview

Every South Carolina county is scored on the SitePath solar permitting index. A sizeable minority are graded A or B, meaning they present low to moderate permitting risk for utility-scale solar projects. About half sit in the C range — moderate risk with meaningful process uncertainty. A minority are rated D or F — high to very high risk, often due to active moratoria, restrictive setback ordinances, or strong local opposition.

The most favorable jurisdictions in South Carolina include Marion County (grade B), Union County (grade B), Clarendon County (grade B). The most challenging include Spartanburg County (grade D), Beaufort County (grade D), Lexington County (grade D).

The state's policy environment — No binding RPS — presents headwinds for renewable development, making county-level permitting conditions especially important to evaluate project by project. No South Carolina counties currently have an active utility-scale solar moratorium.

All counties — sorted by risk score (best first)

About SitePath scoring

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 →