Fayette County
Fayette County, Illinois: solar permitting grade C (score 47/100, 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 47/100 |
| Population | 21,120 |
| 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
Fayette 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
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: Shelby County (≈29 mi) · Clay County (≈34 mi) · Clinton County (≈35 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Fayette County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- St. Elmo city
- Vandalia city
- Bingham village
- Brownstown village
- Farina village
- Ramsey village
- St. Peter village
- Avena township
- Bear Grove township
- Bowling Green township
- Carson township
- Hurricane township
- Kaskaskia township
- La Clede township
- Lone Grove township
- Loudon township
- Otego township
- Pope township
- Ramsey township
- Sefton township
- Seminary township
- Shafter township
- Sharon township
- South Hurricane township
Show all
- Vandalia township
- Wheatland township
- Wilberton township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Effingham County · ≈23 miB39—
- Bond County · ≈24 miB39—
- Marion County · ≈25 miC44—
- Shelby County · ≈29 miC49—
- Montgomery County · ≈29 miD61—
- Clay County · ≈34 miD59—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Fayette County ranks #64 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.