Coles County
Coles County, Illinois: solar permitting grade C (score 49/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | C · Elevated Risk · Score 49/100 |
| Population | 51,736 |
| 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
Coles County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. 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 Coles County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Charleston city
- Mattoon city
- Oakland city
- Ashmore village
- Humboldt village
- Lerna village
- Ashmore township
- Charleston township
- East Oakland township
- Humboldt township
- Hutton township
- Lafayette township
- Mattoon township
- Morgan township
- North Okaw township
- Paradise township
- Pleasant Grove township
- Seven Hickory township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Cumberland County · ≈17 miC42—
- Douglas County · ≈17 miC42—
- Moultrie County · ≈23 miB33—
- Clark County · ≈26 miB39—
- Edgar County · ≈28 miA28—
- Shelby County · ≈32 miC49—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Coles County ranks #69 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.