
Solar energy is the fastest-growing source of power generation in the country. Though it represented less than 2 percent of the South’s overall baseload in 2021, the construction of large-scale solar facilities increased by 61 percent in the South from 2019 to 2024, with the total number in the region now at nearly 1,300.
With more large-scale solar facilities slated for construction, more states are considering regulations on how these facilities are built, operated, and decommissioned. Only four states currently have minimum standards for the siting and permitting process, though legislation has been introduced in ten additional states.