Does Shelby County, Alabama have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-05-02, Shelby County, Alabama has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is Shelby County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Shelby County, Alabama has a SitePath solar permitting grade of B — risk score 40/100 (Moderate Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-05-02.

What are the solar permitting rules in Shelby County, Alabama?

Ordinance status: Ordinance status documented in detail. 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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Alabama

Shelby County

FIPS 01117

Shelby County, Alabama: solar permitting grade B (score 40/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 40/100

Moderate Risk

Public summary

Grade	B · Moderate Risk · Score 40/100
Population	217,702
Solar ordinance	Ordinance status documented in detail
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Improving (ordinance direction easing)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Shelby 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

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Alabaster city
Birmingham citypartly in this county
Calera citypartly in this county
Chelsea city
Columbiana city
Helena citypartly in this county
Hoover citypartly in this county
Indian Springs Village city
Leeds citypartly in this county
Montevallo city
Pelham city
Vestavia Hills citypartly in this county
Harpersville town
Vincent townpartly in this county
Westover town
Wilsonville town
Wilton town

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

Nearby counties

Jefferson County · ≈24 miB36—
Chilton County · ≈28 miB40—
Talladega County · ≈30 miD52—
Bibb County · ≈31 miD52—
Coosa County · ≈34 miD52—
Saint Clair County · ≈37 miB35—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Shelby County ranks #15 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.

Open the full Shelby 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 →