Sussex County
Sussex County, Delaware: solar permitting grade D (score 52/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 52/100 |
| Population | 246,018 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Sussex County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Sussex County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Lewes city
- Milford citypartly in this county
- Rehoboth Beach city
- Seaford city
- Bethany Beach town
- Bethel town
- Blades town
- Bridgeville town
- Dagsboro town
- Delmar town
- Dewey Beach town
- Ellendale town
- Fenwick Island town
- Frankford town
- Georgetown town
- Greenwood town
- Henlopen Acres town
- Laurel town
- Millsboro town
- Millville town
- Milton town
- Ocean View town
- Selbyville town
- Slaughter Beach town
Show all
- South Bethany town
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Wicomico County, MD · ≈27 miC50—
- Caroline County, MD · ≈30 miD52—
- Kent County · ≈30 miC48—
- Worcester County, MD · ≈31 miC42—
- Cape May County, NJ · ≈39 miB41—
- Dorchester County, MD · ≈42 miC47—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Sussex County ranks #3 of 3 ranked Delaware counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Delaware: New Castle County (C · 47), Kent County (C · 48). See all Delaware 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.