Does Orange County, California have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Orange County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Orange County, California has a SitePath solar permitting grade of F — risk score 66/100 (Very High 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 Orange County, California?

Ordinance status: Active solar ordinance on the books. 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.

SitePath › County map › California › Orange County

California

Orange County

FIPS 06059

Orange County, California: solar permitting grade F (score 66/100, Very High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 66/100

Very High Risk

Public summary

Grade	F · Very High Risk · Score 66/100
Population	3,186,989
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

Orange County is very high risk for utility-scale solar permitting. Significant regulatory barriers are on record, and approval is not likely without substantial process investment. California's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.

Local intel

On file: named opposition groups

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Aliso Viejo city
Anaheim city
Brea city
Buena Park city
Costa Mesa city
Cypress city
Dana Point city
Fountain Valley city
Fullerton city
Garden Grove city
Huntington Beach city
Irvine city
La Habra city
La Palma city
Laguna Beach city
Laguna Hills city
Laguna Niguel city
Laguna Woods city
Lake Forest city
Los Alamitos city
Mission Viejo city
Newport Beach city
Orange city
Placentia city

Show all

Rancho Santa Margarita city
San Clemente city
San Juan Capistrano city
Santa Ana city
Seal Beach city
Stanton city
Tustin city
Villa Park city
Westminster city
Yorba Linda city

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

Nearby counties

Los Angeles County · ≈45 miF72—
San Diego County · ≈73 miF67—
Ventura County · ≈91 miC47—
Riverside County · ≈102 miD65—
San Bernardino County · ≈122 miC45—
Kern County · ≈128 miD55—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Orange County ranks #53 of 58 ranked California counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in California: Colusa County (A · 23), Glenn County (A · 26), Siskiyou County (A · 29). See all California 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 Orange 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 →