Clay County
Clay County, Illinois: solar permitting grade D (score 59/100, 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 59/100 |
| Population | 13,253 |
| 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
Clay County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Illinois'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
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Clay County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Flora city
- Clay City village
- Iola village
- Louisville village
- Sailor Springs village
- Xenia village
- Bible Grove township
- Blair township
- Clay City township
- Harter township
- Hoosier township
- Larkinsburg township
- Louisville township
- Oskaloosa township
- Pixley township
- Songer township
- Stanford township
- Xenia township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Effingham County · ≈22 miB39—
- Richland County · ≈22 miB34—
- Wayne County · ≈22 miB37—
- Marion County · ≈25 miC44—
- Jasper County · ≈25 miB32—
- Edwards County · ≈33 miC44—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Clay County ranks #92 of 102 ranked Illinois counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Illinois: DeWitt County (A · 26), Bureau County (A · 26), Edgar County (A · 28). 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.