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Illinois

Cook County

FIPS 17031

Cook County, Illinois: 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.

D
Score 52/100
High Risk

Public summary

GradeD · High Risk · Score 52/100
Population5,275,541
Solar ordinanceActive, restrictive solar ordinance
Active moratoriumNone on record
Regulatory trajectoryStable (no material ordinance movement)
12-month score movementStable
Last verified2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Cook 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

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

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

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  • Alsip village
  • Arlington Heights village
  • Barrington Hills village
  • Barrington village
  • Bartlett village
  • Bedford Park village
  • Bellwood village
  • Bensenville village
  • Berkeley village
  • Bridgeview village
  • Broadview village
  • Brookfield village
  • Buffalo Grove village
  • Burnham village
  • Burr Ridge village
  • Calumet Park village
  • Chicago Ridge village
  • Crestwood village
  • Crete village
  • Deer Park village
  • Deerfield village
  • Dixmoor village
  • Dolton village
  • East Dundee village
  • East Hazel Crest village
  • Elk Grove Village village
  • Elmwood Park village
  • Evergreen Park village
  • Flossmoor village
  • Ford Heights village
  • Forest Park village
  • Forest View village
  • Frankfort village
  • Franklin Park village
  • Glencoe village
  • Glenview village
  • Glenwood village
  • Golf village
  • Hanover Park village
  • Harwood Heights village
  • Hazel Crest village
  • Hillside village
  • Hinsdale village
  • Hodgkins village
  • Hoffman Estates village
  • Homer Glen village
  • Homewood village
  • Indian Head Park village
  • Inverness village
  • Justice village
  • Kenilworth village
  • La Grange Park village
  • La Grange village
  • Lansing village
  • Lemont village
  • Lincolnwood village
  • Lynwood village
  • Lyons village
  • Matteson village
  • Maywood village
  • McCook village
  • Melrose Park village
  • Merrionette Park village
  • Midlothian village
  • Morton Grove village
  • Mount Prospect village
  • Niles village
  • Norridge village
  • North Riverside village
  • Northbrook village
  • Northfield village
  • Oak Lawn village
  • Oak Park village
  • Olympia Fields village
  • Orland Hills village
  • Orland Park village
  • Palatine village
  • Palos Park village
  • Park Forest village
  • Phoenix village
  • Posen village
  • Richton Park village
  • River Forest village
  • River Grove village
  • Riverdale village
  • Riverside village
  • Robbins village
  • Roselle village
  • Rosemont village
  • Sauk Village village
  • Schaumburg village
  • Schiller Park village
  • Skokie village
  • South Barrington village
  • South Chicago Heights village
  • South Holland village
  • Steger village
  • Stickney village
  • Stone Park village
  • Streamwood village
  • Summit village
  • Thornton village
  • Tinley Park village
  • University Park village
  • Westchester village
  • Western Springs village
  • Wheeling village
  • Willow Springs village
  • Wilmette village
  • Winnetka village
  • Woodridge village
  • Worth village
  • Barrington township
  • Berwyn township
  • Bloom township
  • Bremen township
  • Calumet township
  • Elk Grove township
  • Hanover township
  • Lemont township
  • Leyden township
  • Lyons township
  • Maine township
  • New Trier township
  • Niles township
  • Northfield township
  • Norwood Park township
  • Oak Park township
  • Orland township
  • Palatine township
  • Palos township
  • Proviso township
  • Rich township
  • River Forest township
  • Riverside township
  • Schaumburg township
  • Stickney township
  • Thornton township
  • Wheeling township
  • Worth township

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

Nearby counties

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Cook County ranks #79 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.

Open the full Cook 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 →

Related reading

SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.