Bureau County
Bureau County, Illinois: solar permitting grade A (score 26/100, Low Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | A · Low Risk · Score 26/100 |
| Population | 33,381 |
| 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
Bureau County is among the lower-risk jurisdictions in Illinois for utility-scale solar development — ordinance conditions are favorable and permitting history is constructive. Illinois's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
Local intel
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet. See indexed calendar →
Nearby counties where SitePath is tracking energy activity: Putnam County (≈18 mi) · Lee County (≈27 mi) · Whiteside County (≈31 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Bureau County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Peru city
- Princeton city
- Spring Valley city
- Annawan town
- Arlington village
- Buda village
- Bureau Junction village
- Cherry village
- Dalzell village
- De Pue village
- Dover village
- Hollowayville village
- La Moille village
- Ladd village
- Malden village
- Manlius village
- Mineral village
- Neponset village
- New Bedford village
- Ohio village
- Seatonville village
- Sheffield village
- Tiskilwa village
- Walnut village
Show all
- Wyanet village
- Arispie township
- Berlin township
- Bureau township
- Clarion township
- Concord township
- Dover township
- Fairfield township
- Gold township
- Greenville township
- Hall township
- Indiantown township
- La Moille township
- Leepertown township
- Macon township
- Manlius township
- Milo township
- Mineral township
- Neponset township
- Ohio township
- Princeton township
- Selby township
- Walnut township
- Westfield township
- Wheatland township
- Wyanet township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Putnam County · ≈18 miC50—
- Stark County · ≈25 miD57—
- Lee County · ≈27 miB40—
- Marshall County · ≈27 miD59—
- Whiteside County · ≈31 miD56—
- Henry County · ≈31 miB39—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Bureau County ranks #2 of 102 ranked Illinois counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Illinois: DeWitt County (A · 26), Edgar County (A · 28), Henderson County (A · 30). See all Illinois 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.