Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Alabama: solar permitting grade B (score 36/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 36/100 |
| Population | 658,466 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Jefferson County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Alabama'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
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Jefferson County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Adamsville city
- Bessemer city
- Birmingham city
- Brighton city
- Center Point city
- Clay city
- Fairfield city
- Fultondale city
- Gardendale city
- Graysville city
- Helena city
- Homewood city
- Hoover city
- Hueytown city
- Irondale city
- Kimberly city
- Leeds city
- Lipscomb city
- Midfield city
- Mountain Brook city
- Pinson city
- Pleasant Grove city
- Sumiton city
- Tarrant city
Show all
- Trussville city
- Vestavia Hills city
- Warrior city
- Argo town
- Brookside town
- Cardiff town
- County Line townpartly in this county
- Lake View town
- Maytown town
- Morris town
- Mulga town
- North Johns town
- Sylvan Springs town
- Trafford townpartly in this county
- West Jefferson town
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Shelby County · ≈24 miB40—
- Walker County · ≈28 miC46—
- Blount County · ≈35 miB40—
- Saint Clair County · ≈35 miB35—
- Bibb County · ≈39 miD52—
- Cullman County · ≈40 miB40—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Jefferson County ranks #8 of 67 ranked Alabama counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Alabama: Marshall County (B · 30), Etowah County (B · 33), Russell County (B · 35). See all Alabama 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.
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 →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.